Their Journey
by Snarksadoodle
Summary: Six apprentices are swept away from their Clans when a flood strikes. Determined to get back home, they face hardships not many apprentices see in a lifetime. (Adopted from IWalkBlindlyIntoTheShadows)
1. Prologue

Thick, dark clouds hung in the air, cloaking the glittering stars in a blanket of everlasting dark. Muffled rumbles thundered from their interior, signifying the oncoming storm. A warm breeze fluttered through the stiff and rigid trees, their bark shriveled and dry from excessive heat. Even the bare grass had grown needle-like, the water drained leaving it with an unpleasant crunch when stepped upon. Now you could clearly hear this sound, the sharp echoes floating through the barren forest like a drone march. Each step crisp and clear as if multiple figures walked as one. Subtle breathing was masked by the crunching, hot breath puffing into the equally warm air. A jerk in noise from the heaven's above distilled the march, scattered snaps scuffling for the next few seconds while bearings were gathered.

The march again resumed, though it was in agreement that each step was tense, as if waiting for another angry cry from the dark shadows. Several rumbles were evident as the anticipation grew, all ready to expect the same white-blue scar strike down. The conjoined figures remained in silence, stalking through the humid night air as small droplets were released from the sky. The former silent figures recoiled as the drops fell upon their pelts of often ginger, black, brown, tortoiseshell, and tabby, offering up several dismayed hissing to prove their discomfort. The hissing dissolved into a low murmur, grumbles echoing around all agreeing about the rather foul approaching weather.

The night air was no longer silent, overcome by the mutterings of the strangers and the rumbling of the quickly advancing disturbance. Another few bounds ahead the flat earth turned jagged, a swift drop leading to the next flattened out patch of dried grass. Feline figures halted at the edge, the stray bits of moonlight reflecting off their glowing orbs. The broad shouldered tabby at the head took the lead down the drop, finding the previously used ridged trail that gently sloped towards the base. One by one, the shadowed felines slipped into a single file line and stepped gingerly down onto the bumpy ground. The rainfall had already considerably increased, noted by the quickly forming puddles in the dips in the earth.

The hollow itself was home to the puddle laden ground, as well as a large oak with thick branches. Surrounding the large clearing was a tall, jagged barrier of stone which shielded it from the outside. The remaining cats streamed in over the rocks, settling in the muddy earth with disgusted snorts as they struggled to find a dryer place to sit. The rain continued to beat down mercilessly against their cold, shivering bodies, increasing in power as darkened, mud stained felines crawled out from a small tunnel at the far end of the clearing. Rather than the disgust that the latter had, these cats seemed to welcome the harsh rain with relieved sighs. A pretty silver tabby delicately poised herself on one of the higher branches of the oak after a set of graceful bounds. She was joined by the broad shouldered black tabby within moments, giving a curt nod to her companion as she relished in the falling rain.

Down below, a small scuffle broke out among the mingling cats. Two small cats, slightly larger than a kit, had charged ahead from their group and ended up sliding head first into another apprentice which caused the three to clash in a muddy dip. There were startled cries and sharp hissing, three muddied felines struggling to crawl away from the overly moist dirt. Some were laughing, grateful to have something to take their minds off the bitter chill that followed the harshly falling droplets.

Another large group slipped into the hollow via the trees, their entrance masked by the downpour. Wordlessly, a slender white tom sat perched next to the black tabby, offering an almost unseen nod in greeting. More cats down below the large oak were continuing to mingle, their voices of bitterness, irritation, warmth, and laughter echoing around the circular hollow.

"You wouldn't be laughing if you were the ones soaked with this foul stuff!" spat the apprentice who had been knocked in- a dark reddish she-cat with a lithe and nimble frame, her black paws covered by the darkness of the night. Her dark amber orbs flashed with hostility, scooping up a mound of the sloppy mush with a dainty paw and hurling it at the nearest feline; a dark gray tom who was also one of her clanmates. The mud struck his muzzle, most of his face splattered with the brown substance.

"Oh calm down Flarepaw," spoke a voice through the almost blinding weather, the tall frame of an orange and white tom padding closer and offering the she-cat help. "You needn't throw mud at your clanmates. You've got to work on that temper of yours."

"Temper shemper!" roared the reddish feline- Flarepaw by name, as she was nudged away from the dip. "Those flea-pelts threw me in!" She thrust a paw forward to a small gray she-cat with a white blaze on her chest and a darker, almost black tom. The two visibly recoiled in fear, the unusually small she-cat throwing out harsh insults without batting an eye.

"No need to be nasty either," sighed the orange and white tom, his companion- a fluffy cream tom- offered a silky purr, "Fallenpaw's right. Besides, mud on your pelt makes you look so much prettier." Even through the downpour, many could see the lustful glint in his mossy green orbs. The mud stained she-cat however, wouldn't fall for his antics once she snorted, lips curled back to reveal pearl white fangs slightly brown from the muddy water.

"Mind your manners, Wildpaw," the orange and white tom nudged the cream apprentice sharply. "And the rain should wash away the mud, Flarepaw. Calm down and listen up; the leaders are about to speak."

A blue-white streak sliced through the sky, setting cats on edge with fearful yowling that barely was heard over the spattering rain. A louder, ear-splitting yowl came from the silhouette of the oak tree, to signify the gathering's start.

"Cats of all Clans!" bellowed a tom's voice, either the black tabby's or the white tom's. "Look to the sky! Can you see the moon?"

This was a certainly peculiar way to begin the gathering but never the less, all the heads of the gathered felines tilted upwards to gaze at the inky sky, met with a cascade of droplets staining their faces. Many were still confused. What was the point?

"You do not see the moon, correct?" cried another voice from the branches of the oak, this time it was the silver tabby's. "It is a sign! Whitestar, Darkstar, and I have consulted each other and have come to conclude: StarClan does not want there to be a gathering tonight! The moon has been covered by clouds since the moment any of us arrived!"

"Because of this startling news, the gathering is over!" the final leader's voice cut through the roar of the precipitation. Shocked murmurs echoed through the swarm of cats. Never had a gathering been canceled like this. Once or twice the clouds had covered the moon but never had the Clans had to end their sacred meeting without it even starting. To make matters worse, another bolt of blue-white shot from the sky, snarling with ferocity and rage of a great TigerClan warrior. The panicked felines scurried around one another, desperately searching for their clanmates so they could leave the hollow and escape to their warm dens.

A terror filled screech echoed from the stone ridge, the lithe white shape of BlizzardClan's leader tearing up grass to climb back down into the hollow, a huge tidal wave nipping at his paws. Just as the terrified leader leaped, the wave surged into the hollow, colliding with the fleeing felines. Fear stricken pelts crashed through the surface as the hollow continued to fill with a huge amount of water. Yowling in terror, they frantically leaped for the great oak, taking refuge high above ground with shivering bodies.

The giant wave subsided, falling victim to the cracks near the clearing base as well as the tunnel. The water was soon filtered out, leaving nothing but drenched earth and puddles behind. A cautious mew came from the tree's interior.

"MagmaClan, are we all accounted for?" the broad shouldered tabby mewed, sharply coughing after speaking.

"BlizzardClan? What about you?" Whitestar feebly glanced around, light green eyes still round with terror.

"And OceanClan," came the silver tabby's quivering tone. "Seafoam, are we all here?"

A agony filled yowl came from one of the tree's inhabitants. A dark gray she-cat frantically wailing and shaking her head. "No! No no no no no! They're gone!"

_Much better...For those who don't know what I'm talking about, I had originally posted this first chapter at almost midnight. I was rather tired and extremely not in a writing mood. So despite my better judgement, I posted it. And boy was it god awful! I couldn't bear to live with such a terrible prologue and I had to have it changed. And this is the final product. Hope you like it. Oh, and this was also adopted by Kira-QueenOfDarkness. I own the cats and Clans but not the plotline. Be sure to read, review and tell me what you think of the revised version. _

_-Snarky_


	2. Swept Away

Midday heat beat down upon three, seemingly lifeless bodies of helpless felines. Dried mud still clung to their matted pelts from the night before; particles of hot sand scattered among fur went unnoticed while its hosts were otherwise unconscious. Flanks scarcely moved, proving that they were indeed breathing, but barely. A single, sharp cough brought the life back into their eyes. The faded glory of amber orbs lazily drifted open, the brightness that once conquered had been diminished. The reddish crown lifted off the sand, fogged senses spotting an almost familiar gray shape with a white chest blaze, the other was long legged with orange and white fur. A cough escaped her parched jaws.

"What's going on?" she rasped, the lack of moisture in her mouth evident by the way she spoke, her voice no longer sharp with hostility. Her companions stirred, an ear twitch or a tail flick. The amber eyed she-cat struggled to remember, most of her thoughts muddled by blackness. One name jumped out at her the moment her gaze fell back on the tom. "Fallenpaw," the name rolled off her tongue as she shakily rose to her paws, those same black feet caked with dried mud and sand as she urged herself closer. The tom stirred again, this time with a twitch of his paws and an audible exhale of breath. The reddish feline extended a black paw, quickly poking the other awake with a series of claw jabs to his muzzle.

"Wildpaw, not now," he murmured sleepily. "I'm not scheduled to go on the dawn patrol."

Flarepaw's ears twitched angrily. How dare he mistake her for that lustful tom who pranced after every she-cat that caught his eye! She leaned down towards his ear, having to resort to drastic measures. "Fallenpaw get off your lazy butt and wake up!" Her tone was so ear-splitting, not only did it succeed in waking up the orange and white tom, but the gray she-cat as well. Both had sprang to their paws in a hurry, eyes wild and frantic.

"Great StarClan, Flarepaw! What are you- wait, Flarepaw?" Fallenpaw glanced at her with wide green orbs, studying the matted pelt of the she-cat.

"Yes, it's me you daft cave mouse!" spat Flarepaw, neck fur bristled. "Now what do you have to say about this? I expected this from Wildpaw, but from you?"

"Flarepaw, I just woke up with you screeching in my ear," the orange and white tom growled out, voice strained. "Would you please explain the thing I did wrong?"

"Simple, look around wormgut," Flarepaw hissed, unlocking her colorful vocabulary of curses. "Two she-cats, one tom. And you say you don't know what's going on." Fallenpaw's eyes narrowed, rising to his full height to tower over the she-cat. His feathery tail swished in irritation. "Listen here, little miss bossy. First of all, I haven't done anything that concerns your security. You nor her," he gave a sideways glance to the trembling shape of the gray she-cat. Flarepaw looked as if she were about to respond but held her tongue, glancing away. Fallenpaw's aggressive stature abruptly fell, curiosity plastered over his bright green optics. "Where are we anyhow?"

"That's what I want to know," huffed Flarepaw, giving a disdainful look at her matted pelt coated with sand and mud and who knows what. She cast an irritated amber gaze across the land, only spotting a landscape of sand for what appeared to be miles. Behind them were an outcropping of rounded stones and to their front were the gentle waves lapping up at the shoreline. None of the surrounding land looked familiar.

"W-Where's my brother?" the gray cat spoke up timidly, breaking the silence. Her frightened blue gaze went from side to side, unable to spot the darker pelt of her sibling within her vision.

"You mean that black tom that pushed me into the mud," hissed the crouched shape of the reddish feline. "You and him both."

"I told you about that temper of yours," Fallenpaw scolded as he padded over to the gray cat. "What's his name?"

"Floodpaw," she answered quickly, body quivering. "And I'm Mistpaw. We're never separated and we were only made apprentices two sunrises ago. I'm scared. And I'm sure he is too." Fallenpaw nodded, turning his crown to where the landscape of sand took a turn around the bend, the view beyond obscured by more rounded stones. "That way," he pointed his pink nose in that direction, a small rumble of muffled sounds were able to be heard. The long legged tom made quick strides, noticing that Mistpaw was instantly on his heels, Flarepaw was hanging back and looking distant.

"Flarepaw? We're moving," the orange and white tom called back. "Are you coming?" Her answer was a snort but never the less, the feline had rose to her black paws and padded forward. "Why not?" he heard her mutter as she passed him. "Nothing ever comes good with being alone anyways."

Fallenpaw felt himself smile. He had known Flarepaw for a long while. Sure she could be insanely grumpy and self-centered, but he knew she had a heart and couldn't leave someone behind. Unless of course it was Wildpaw. She had proven that theory many times over.

The heat blazed down upon the trio's pelts, succeeding in nearly scorching their fur off. Flarepaw seemed to be the most irritated, for she hadn't had the time to wash the mud away that continued to matt her pelt and give it an ungroomed, disdainful look. Fallenpaw seemed to be taking it better, but he couldn't help but admit the heat was becoming slightly unbearable. The OceanClan cat- Mistpaw- took second in the ranks, obviously not taking it like Flarepaw but certainly lagging behind with staggering movements and labored breathing. It was obvious she wasn't suited for far traveling either. After all, Flarepaw and Fallenpaw had been apprentices for several moons- Flarepaw actually being the eldest despite her attitude of a six moon old kit. Never the less, Mistpaw and her brother had only been named apprentices two days ago, proving their stamina to be quite limited. The intense humidity wasn't helping either.

"So, do you think we're the only survivors?" the surprising question came from Flarepaw herself, her stance tense and rigid though plainly clear she was trying to keep calm. "I mean, I've only seen you two but I can't help but think the others aren't out there. Cause I mean, surely if there were others they would find us by now and we wouldn't have been too far in the first place and I suppose they're out there, but-"

"Flarepaw," Fallenpaw interjected cautiously, giving the reddish she-cat a wary look.

"-where? I don't want to be alone but I guess I'm not totally alone, I've got you two even if it is pretty pathetic company. One's a soft-hearted mouse and the other's a stuttering OceanClanner. That's pretty low even for a MagmaClan cat such as-"

"Flarepaw," the orange and white tom called louder, clearing his throat though she only rambled on longer.

"-myself. Who am I to associate myself with the likes of them? MagmaClan is independent and doesn't need looking after. I can look after myself but I suppose it's nice to have some company or someone to talk to. Not that I don't care for you, I mean you're better than rocks or sand or whatever but-"

"Flarepaw!" Fallenpaw lost it, lashing out at the rambling she-cat with a harsh growl.

"I want Blackshadow!" Flarepaw wailed suddenly, falling muzzle first in the sand, salty tears flooding her vision. The orange and white tom was at her side instantly, whispering softly into her ear as he crouched next to her, stroking her spine with a feathery tail. The she-cat's body was shuddering, though it seemed to calm with the tail touch.

"Who's Blackshadow?" Mistpaw mewed, overly cautious that she'd struck a nerve.

"That's not my place to say," the orange and white tom sighed.

"Then why's she...like that? She seemed so sure of herself, if not a little arrogant," Mistpaw's voice lowered in fear that she would get snapped at by the said arrogant apprentice.

"Flarepaw's MagmaClan. She- like the many of her Clanmates- don't do well with harsh temperature changes. You must know that MagmaClan cats live underground with the magma pools, their bodies tolerable of the ambiance. But when faced with a harsh snowfall or rainstorm, they're easily subject to mood swings. The gathering...that was too much rain...then too much heat for her to take. It doesn't help that we're all a little dehydrated and hungry. We should get out of the sun, find some shade." His wary green gaze surveyed the sandy landscape, desperately searching for a place to gather strength. He paused upon spotting a large enough crevice for the three of them with possible extra room. "There," he meowed softly with relief, gripping Flarepaw's scruff with his teeth. With the help of Mistpaw, the reddish she-cat was safely on the back of Fallenpaw as they made quick strides for the crevice.

The interior wasn't much cooler than its exterior but it was shady enough to provide a substantial place for rest. Flarepaw was set in the rear where it was the coolest, hoping the presence of shade would help her calm down. She continued to faintly shudder, eyes clamped shut as she inhaled and exhaled shakily. Fallenpaw resumed his position by her side, stroking his feathery tail across her spine, a content smile crossing his features as he felt her stance relax.

"You care for her," Mistpaw pointed out calmly, observing the scene with warm blue eyes.

"We've all gone through a lot," Fallenpaw avoided the statement, turning the conversation without batting an eye. "We've all taken a toll on the flood. I'm not even sure who survived. It's better if we all have each other's backs. For safety reasons." His eyes closed, taking in a small breath and falling into a state of relaxation. It wasn't very long before the silence shattered, the cries of panic easily heard.

"Help! Help!" a voice screeched wildly from the outside of the crevice.

"That voice!" Mistpaw shot to her paws, racing for the entrance. "It couldn't be..."

_Dun dun dun! Who's in need of danger? And how does Mistpaw know? On another note, what do you all think of it so far? The ending might seem a little rushed but I blame that on the flu. Yes, our dearest Snarky is stuck in bed with the flu. I had an itch to write and this was pretty much the final result. After a well deserved nap, I'll get the next chapter up. Remember to read and review! I like to read your comments and especially constructive criticism. _

_-Snarky_


	3. Familiar Face

"Anemonepaw!" Mistpaw shrieked, blue eyes locked onto the sprinting brown shape of her clanmate as a hoard of white feathered birds gave chase, squawking angrily as if out for blood. His green eyes were round with terror, sending sand sprawling in his wake. Behind him, his thin tail streamed like a flag. Chest pounding, it was a wonder if he even heard the cry of the gray she-cat.

Mistpaw charged from the cavern, Fallenpaw on her heels. The bird flock neared the startled apprentice, pecking at him with their sharp yellow beaks. Anemonepaw was yelping wildly, paws flailing as he tripped and skidded into the sand on his belly, leaving it exposed. Seeing an opening, the flock dove, angrily driving their bills at the petrified apprentice.

"Get off him, bird brains!" Mistpaw yowled with a surprising amount of courage, leaping into the fray with a savage screech, clinging to the back of the nearest gull with sharp claws. Snarling, Mistpaw ripped out feathers, driving her sharp teeth into its neck. Out of the corner of his mind, Fallenpaw was inwardly startled at the savagery that the young OceanClan cat was displaying. True, Anemonepaw was her clanmate, proving she cared for him as she tossed aside the dead bird. The white and orange tom tore aside another gull, grabbing a mouth full of tail feathers.

Leaving the others with heavy scarring and wounds, the rest of the flock fled with their strange cries. With energized glances, Mistpaw and Fallenpaw surveyed the four dead gulls around their paws. The brown tom had calmed down slightly, twitching after a moment before falling into a short lapse of silence.

"Anemonepaw," the gray she-cat sighed with a mixture of relief and sadness.

"So you're alive too I see," the brown tom squeaked out, glancing at the other OceanClanner with a pained soft green gaze. "Fallenpaw? That you?" His ear twitched, spotting the familiar pelt of the orange and white, long legged apprentice.

"Flarepaw's here too," he sighed, smiling lightly. "You remember her; feisty little she-cat with a short temper?"

"Have you seen Floodpaw?" Mistpaw asked eagerly, hoping that he had, her tail waving in excitement. Anemonepaw shook his head sadly, rising weakly to a sitting position. "I found myself wandering on the sand when I sought after food, suddenly ambushed by those gulls. I haven't seen or heard anyone from any Clan beside you two- and of course Flarepaw. Where is she?"

Fallenpaw flicked his long tail to the alcove in the rocks. "Come on, she'll appreciate a bird after her latest episode." The brown tom and the gray she-cat followed, each dragging a gull. "Episode?" Anemone meowed through feathers. "She had another one?"

Fallenpaw dipped his head as he passed into the cavern, nodding to the still shape of the reddish she-cat huddled in the back in a tight ball. "Too much heat after the rainstorm," he surmised, setting down the bird. "Wouldn't stop rambling and then wailed for...you know who." He sat by her side, giving her ear a quick lick in hopes to rouse her from sleep. "Flarepaw? Anemonepaw's here. You remember OceanClan's medicine cat apprentice? We also brought you a bird."

"Let her be," Anemonepaw meowed gently as he nosed Fallenpaw aside. "If it's another trauma attack, it's best to leave her alone. She needs sleep and it was a good idea to bring her in the shade. She'll wake when ready and eat the bird. For now, I think we should follow suit and sleep. I know I need it," the apprentice chuckled to himself, curling up near the cave entrance with Mistpaw nearby. Fallenpaw moved back to the MagmaClan apprentice's side, watching over her with a soft green gaze. His tail swished over her back, watching as the fur ruffled at the contact. Sinking to the stone floor, he curled up with one of the gulls, delicately pulling out feathers before swallowing the meat. Every once in a while, he glanced to his side, surveying the passed out she-cat still curled up in her tight ball. Tilting his head up, he spotted Anemonepaw and Mistpaw near the front, already slumbering in peace.

_We'll head out at night fall_, Fallenpaw inwardly mused upon staring at the light streaming in._ Like Anemonepaw said, we should get some sleep._ The tom's jaws parted in an enormous yawn, pushing aside the remains of the bird with a paw before pressing himself closer to the cold pelt of Flarepaw. His feathery tail wrapped around, in hopes to keep her warm while they slept. Eyes drowsy, Fallenpaw's green orbs slowly shut, falling into the dark abyss with fatigue.

...

A loud sneeze snapped Fallenpaw awake. Bleary eyed, he scanned the interior of his surroundings. _This isn't the apprentice den..._ was the first thought to pass his muddled mind. As his head tilted towards his side, the second thought was,_ Flarepaw!_

Jerking to his paws, his green gaze whizzed around the cramped cavern, scarcely pausing to spot the gray lump of Mistpaw and the brown of Anemonepaw. His only train of thought had been the loss of the reddish she-cat, horrified she had not been by his side in the cave. Without alerting the others, letting fear drive his emotions, he barrelled out of the alcove, frantically whipping his head from side to side.

"Fallenpaw? What's up?" came the overly familiar voice, the said MagmaClan apprentice perched on a protruding ledge, amber eyes bright as they usually were. The orange and white tom sighed with relief, falling to a sitting position as he focused his sight on the petite apprentice. Her whiskers twitched with amusement as the tom remained silent in shock. "What's the matter? Fox got your tongue?" she taunted while a smile crossed Fallenpaw's features. Same old Flarepaw.

He shook his head to clear his mind, crouching and making a single graceful bound up to the she-cat. "You cleaned your pelt," he surmised, noting that it held its usual sleek, glossy appearance, free of mud and sand.

"I did," she puffed out her chest in triumph, the feeling reflected in her amber orbs. It deflated for a moment as she muttered out, "Only because I trampled around in the StarClan forsaken water." She visibly recoiled, pelt shuddering at the memory. Fallenpaw chuckled, knowing how easy it was to get her pelt ruffled the wrong way. The top part of the list being in water. The two fell into silence, listening to the gentle crash of the waves against sand, the distant cries of gulls farther away on the salty breeze.

The glow of the setting sun cast an array of orange and red to streak the sky and reflect across the water. Languid waves rolling back and forth while the humid heat dwindled, the cool breeze of the approaching night slowly being recognized. Subconsciously, the 'paws shifted closer until their pelts were faintly brushing.

"Hey, Flarepaw! You're ok!" chirped a shrill voice, Flarepaw and Fallenpaw pulling away with bristled coats. Leaning over with startled orbs, the figures of Anemonepaw and Mistpaw standing along the sand, peering up with quizzical gazes. The gray she-cat seemed overly excited that Flarepaw had survived while the brown tom seemed satisfactory. Flarepaw edged away from the orange and white tom in her feeble attempt to distant the awkwardness in the air. Fallenpaw reacted similarly, looking away from the reddish she-cat as he inwardly cleared his throat. Both leaped down from the ledge, glancing silently at the remaining members of their group.

"What's up with you two?" Mistpaw asked curiously, head tilted with naive innocence. Fallenpaw shook his head slightly, "Nothing," he answered briskly. "Just making sure Flarepaw was alright. Didn't you say you wanted to look for your brother? Floodpaw- I believe was his name?" Tail swishing he changed the topic, hoping to alter attention from him and the reddish apprentice.

"Oh right!" exclaimed the gray cat, bouncing up and down before streaking off down the shoreline. "Come on guys! We've got to find my brother! Hold on Floodpaw! Mistpaw won't let you down, we'll find you and bring you back!"

_She seems a little bit too overjoyed, considering it's her brother we're searching for_, Fallenpaw absently thought. _Who's to say he's even alive. We might just be the only survivors..._ He blinked his green orbs, startled to find the others racing ahead without a second glance at him. "Hey wait!" he yelped, charging after the group, kicking up sand with each bound as the four felines streaked across the soft earth, the darkness of the night swiftly cloaking the skies.

_Snarky apologies for the extreme shortness, this was mostly a filler chapter until we can get to the plot next time. And yes the summary does say six apprentices, not four. So my observant readers, who are the other two? _

_Another note, it's review ghost town up in here! I like to read your comments, questions, concerns and other stuff! I also like to read constructive criticism, it'll turn me into a better writer than will hopefully update more frequently. Since it is a three day weekend for me, expect another chapter up real soon. Follow, favorite, read, and review! Your input means a lot!_

_-Snarky_


	4. Into the Rubble

"Look over here!" the familiar chirp echoed through the night breeze, breaking the silence that had cast over the small group. The gray shape of the OceanClan apprentice had found a stable perch on a protruding ledge from the wall of stones. Behind her lay a thick grassy hedge, obscuring the view of anything beyond. Eagerness shone brightly in those sapphire orbs, her tail flicking back and forth with somewhat suppressed impatience as she waited for the approach of her companions.

Energized from their recent sleep and relaxed stance among the cool dusky wind, the three remaining survivors hurried their pace in fear the little she-cat would burst. Long legged Fallenpaw bounded ahead, outpacing the petite Flarepaw who shot him a dirty scowl, struggling to match his pace as they raced for the outcropping Mistpaw had perched upon. Anemonepaw straggled along in the rear, smiling lightly in amusement as he watched the antics of BlizzardClan and MagmaClan apprentices.

"Beat you," Fallenpaw announced cockily, smirking as he skidded to a halt next to Mistpaw, Flarepaw jerking to a halt moments later, panting and breathing heavily from the run.

"By a tail length, long legs," she hissed, lips curled good naturedly. Anemonepaw came bounding up within another few seconds, turning his green gaze on Mistpaw who had called them over in the first place.

"What's up?" he meowed in curiosity, jabbing his muzzle ahead and sniffing curiously at the hedge. It scented peculiar, not like the warming comfort of ocean where his kin had sheltered for many moons. It had a faint earthy scent, like the forest beyond OceanClan's territory but it was dwindling. It was a battle between earth, ocean, and the sharp tang of twoleg- a scent not usually found around the Clans.

"Lookie here," Mistpaw purred, eyes twinkling with mystery as she slipped through the barrier of carved leaves. The remaining trio glanced quizzically at the spot where Mistpaw disappeared. Shrugging with a snort of arrogance, Flarepaw slid through without a second glance. Fallenpaw trotted at her heels, ears flicking nervously and Anemonepaw took the rear, head tilting around to shoot a cautious glance behind them. When nothing but the waves beating down on the shore remained, the lithe brown tom crept through, bumping into Fallenpaw as he emerged. Shifting position, Anemonepaw took his place next to Mistpaw and gazed out at the scene.

Their eyes widened in shock and awe, breathless as their gaze took in what lay before them. Rows and rows of twoleg dens as far as the eye could see, lit up by tall thin poles donned with miniature glowing suns. The rancid scent of twoleg and littered rubbish flooded their nostrils, forcing some to recoil.

Flarepaw's nose wrinkled. "Who would've thought this lay behind the hedge? I say we back off and go farther down the shoreline." Her tail lashed with uncertainty, preparing to turn around but Mistpaw argued against it.

"But Flarepaw!" she whined desperately. "Floodpaw could be in there!"

"And he also could be dead! You ever think of that?" snarled Flarepaw, rounding on the gray she-cat. Mistpaw visibly flinched, tears brimming in her sapphire orbs. Her body shook, trying to fight back the wail caught in her throat.

"Flarepaw!" Fallenpaw hissed, hackles raised with his green glare set on the reddish MagmaClan apprentice. "That's enough!" Flarepaw's lips remained curled, her teeth bared at Mistpaw, but acknowledging the presence of the BlizzardClan cat with a sideways glance.

"Is not," her ear twitched, an added tail lash to execute her point in anger. "If you ask me, it _wasn't_ enough." Her blazing amber stare floated back to Mistpaw in a single heartbeat. "If your brother is anything like you, I'm sure he's been washed away with the tide. I bet the water got caught up in his lungs, he couldn't breathe. His limp body fell beneath the surface to drown, washing up days later along the shore, left for the gulls to pick at. His measly carcass would then disappear into the sand, never to be found again."

The tears fell freely, lapping at her cheeks as Mistpaw stood, aghast at Flarepaw's announcement.

"Flarepaw!" Fallenpaw snarled again, fire burning within the bright green orbs. "You've crossed the line!"

Mistpaw let out a caterwaul, turning tail and sprinting ahead through the grass, her sobs echoing as she darted for the darkness of the twolegplace. Anemonepaw's eyes widened in horror, chasing after his clanmate with concern for her safety. "Mistpaw come back!" Moments later, he disappeared into the shadows.

"You mouse-brained lump of fox-dung!" roared Fallenpaw, delivering a heavy blow to Flarepaw's crown, knocking her to the ground. Dizzy, the she-cat remained on the ground, hissing with resistance as she felt weight press against her, keeping her secure. Fallenpaw towered over her with malice in his usually rational gaze. If looks could kill, Flarepaw would be the one on the shoreline with the gulls picking at her pelt. "You stupid, _stupid_ she-cat!" he snarled, rage coursing through each syllable until saliva started to spew from his open maw, revealing sharp ivories.

"I'm being a realist," Flarepaw growled out, glaring at the paw resting at her throat as she somehow managed to keep her temper under control. "I'm merely suggesting that Floodpaw isn't even alive to look for. What's the point in wasting efforts looking for a cat who's dead?"

"Who's to say he's dead?" Fallenpaw hissed, grinding fangs together as he resisted the urge to bite some sense into her. "You were the one to suggest it. And you've hurt poor Mistpaw's feelings."

"Boo hoo," the she-cat sneered, lips curled again. "She's an OceanClan cat. What's it to you? She your mate or something?" A smirk danced on her features, twisting into a pained scowl as she felt claws tear at her pelt, threatening to break skin.

"Our Clans don't matter at the moment," Fallenpaw meowed in a slate voice, though shaky as his claws dug against the pelt of his captive. "What matters is that we shouldn't hurt our friends- emotionally or physically."

"Hypocrite," Flarepaw snorted. "Mind taking your claws out of my fur? You're kinda hurting me physically."

The rage in the orange and white tom's gaze faded, replaced with another one of his slate expressions though it was clear he was concerned. "Sorry," he murmured softly, stepping off and sheathing his claws. Flarepaw rose to her black paws in a swift motion, surveying her pelt for any signs that he had drawn blood. When she was satisfied of its cleanliness, her softer amber gaze floated to the slumped shape of the orange and white tom.

Fallenpaw's head drooped, shoulders slumped with defeat. He let out a heavy sigh, adding to his obvious stressed state of mind. It was then Flarepaw realized that he was running ragged. His pelt, once bold with bright orange and white, was now dull in the dark light, patches scruffy and matted due to lack of grooming. Even his feathery tail was streaked with clumps of sand, the fur frayed and matted like the rest of him. She frowned with disgust; normally Fallenpaw would take better care of his appearance. Stifling a sigh, she crept over quietly and seated herself at his side. Leaning closer, she rasped her tongue over his neck fur, causing a fear stricken shudder from Fallenpaw who looked at her with a rush of terror.

"What?" Flarepaw pulled back slightly to read his expression. "Your pelt is an absolute disaster. Someone's got to clean it." She moved back and resumed where she left off. Fallenpaw tensed at the next lick, growing slowly more accustomed to the relaxing feeling.

_Relaxing?_ he thought suddenly, sneaking a peep at the smaller red feline as she moved to smooth the patches around his back and flank. He gave an inward shrug, acknowledging the voice inside his head but otherwise ignoring it and relishing in the comfort he was given. He wasn't even aware of his purring until Flarepaw eventually pulled away. He retaliated by giving her a quizzical look.

"I'm sure you can finish the rest by yourself," her whiskers were twitching, a trademark Flarepaw smirk on her lips. Fallenpaw shifted uncomfortably before turning around and finishing off the grooming process. Once finished, he rose to his paws, standing at full height and still towering above the smaller she-cat. "Care to join me to find Mistpaw and Anemonepaw? Those two are bound to find some trouble sooner or later." He flashed her a grin. Flarepaw returned it. A genuine one. Not a smirk or a grimace, not even a forced grin. A real genuine smile.

"Why not?" she purred, striding ahead with swift bounds, picking up speed and forcing Fallenpaw to work if he was going to catch up. Both fell into silence once the orange and white tom was walking beside Flarepaw, nothing but the cricket chirping and their pawsteps against the grass could be heard.

A dog's bark could be heard further up, causing their pelts to subconsciously bristle. The dog itself was further away in the twolegplace but its cry was loud enough to set them on edge. The grass beneath their paws morphed into stone, the stench of something rancid coming closer with each step. Ahead of them by only fox lengths, lay a stretch of black stone, its scent nose wrecking and somewhat horrible to even look at.

"What is that?" Flarepaw nearly gagged, halting beside the black path with a disdainful look at it.

"A thunderpath," Fallenpaw answered, trying not to gag like his companion as he stared down at its cracked surface. "Snowhawk told us stories about them when we were but kits in the nursery. He'd always say monsters ran along their surface. Bloodthirsty beings hungry for cat blood- any blood depending on what crossed into its territory uninvited."

"Well it looks like no monsters are on it now," Flarepaw surmised with a hopeful expression, placing a paw on the black stone and hissing at the touch. She refused to look weak and left her paw there while she glanced to either side of the path. "Come on, if we hurry, we won't be chased out of the monsters' territory." Without waiting for a response from Fallenpaw, she sprinted across the thunderpath, paws stinging at the contact with her paw pads. She heard startled breathing and quick paw steps as she was joined reluctantly by the orange and white BlizzardClan apprentice.

She leaped off the path and crashed onto the grass on the other side, sprawled out on her side with a laugh. "Monsters! Ha! Only stories! Your so called Snowhawk must have been lying about them." Fallenpaw joined her on the opposite side, paw prickling as he paced. "Even so, they still sound terrifying. We should keep moving, I don't doubt that Mistpaw and Anemonepaw are scared stiff."

"Worry wart," sniffed the she-cat disdainfully with her nose stuck in her air. She gave a swish of her tail and started off further into the twolegplace despite her own objections about this area earlier. Fallenpaw had no choice but to follow, knowing nothing would stop her from getting what she wanted. Flarepaw was stubborn and reckless like that. It made it hard to believe she had such a troubling kit-hood.

_Not the time to bring that up,_ he scolded himself, shaking his head. _She won't want the past brought up. Especially now. She'll have to accept it eventually but as for now I won't-_

"Halt!" a menacing voice called out through the looming shadows of the twolegplace, the sound slicing through the former silence. Both 'paws froze, pelts bristling with fear as their ear fur twitched. Their heads turned toward the source, expecting some giant to come lumbering out with the intention to kill.

Out from the shadows stepped out an overly familiar shape. His fluffy cream colored fur was easily recognized, the dark green glint in his eyes matching only one cat both apprentices had met in their lifetime.

"...Wildpaw?" the name left Fallenpaw's startled vocal chords, surprised the apprentice had been one to survive. Another set of dark green eyes appeared beside "Wildpaw", the eyes belonging to a black she-cat.

"Not Wildpaw," she purred silkily. "Alpha."

_Snarky's full of cliffhangers! No surprise Wildpaw's one of the survivors, I mentioned him in the prologue. Along with Flare, Fallen, Anemone, Mist and Flood. Anyways, this chapter is longer. There you go. Now in return all I ask is reviews. Did I mention its a ghost town in here? No? Then I'll say it now: This place is review ghost town! Now that that's out of the way...All aboard the SnarkyShinx Express! Next stop- plotline!_

_-Snarky_


	5. Sewer Systems

Heavy panting split the air, accompanied with the shuddering sobs, cracked wails, and thundering paw steps. The dry grass crunched underpaw, a lithe gray blur streaking through the night with a flash of brown on her heels. Water flooded her vision, her motions clumsy and off center. With her ears flattened and blood rushing to her head, it was nearly impossible to notice the presence of her worried pursuer. Sapphire orbs swamped with forming tears, the blur was swiftly losing energy, her legs slowing with numb pain from the heavy sprint. She forced herself to keep moving however, paw pads prickling with uneasiness as a spark lit up beneath them as she ran across not grass- but hard black stone. Without casting a second glance, she veered off to the other side, stumbling as she tripped over her own clumsy paws and skidded face first into the hard soil.

"Mistpaw!" the voice clearly reached her ears, the slender brown tom scampering to her side with worried sage green orbs. He reached out a careful forepaw, placing it on her shoulder and watching her distantly as she curled up in a tight ball, figure still shuddering with fallen tears. "Shh, Mistpaw. It's alright." He tried to soothe her, glancing from side to side with a few sniffs here and there in a quick search for some thyme for her shock. With none in scent range, he sighed knowing she'd have to go without it for a while.

"It's not alright!" Mistpaw choked back a sob, a wail caught in her throat as she lifted her bruised muzzle. She cast a glance at Anemonepaw and sniffled. "Anemonepaw...what if Flarepaw's right? We don't know that she was lying. What if Floodpaw's dead?"

"We've still got to keep hope," the tom forced a smile, attempting to get her to her paws though she refused. "Come on, Mistpaw. Let's put this behind us and get back to the others. Fallenpaw's probably worried you ran off."

"Flarepaw won't want me back," the gray she-cat spat back bitterly, unsaid hatred spewing out from her innocent mouth. She tried to suppress her own surprise. Since when was she so hostile? MagmaClan brat or not, Mistpaw never put accusations upon another in fear of turning into one of those backstabbing gossipers like Swansong and Duckfoot of OceanClan. Those two were notorious for spreading rumors about their clanmates. Last Mistpaw heard, their latest gossip topic was that Rivershade was cheating on Crabclaw with Pikefang. She shuddered at the thought of turning into one of _them_. Finding joy in nothing but passing on false lies about loyal and trusted clan cats.

"Nevermind," she murmured quickly, brushing herself off as she stood to regain her composure. Anemonepaw looked at her doubtfully but remained quiet about her little tantrum. Tail swishing with anticipation he looked around. "Come on then, we've got to get back to Flarepaw and Fallenpaw." As he started to pad back up to the black path, Anemonepaw noticed Mistpaw was looking longingly in the opposite direction. Her glossy blue gaze scanned across another expanse of flattened grass, floating past towards the clumping of twoleg dens.

"Mist-"

"Don't you wanna see if Flarepaw's wrong?" she interrupted, voice lack of emotion. Anemonepaw's ear twitched with uncertainty, a confused frown on his features. "What are you-"

"Don't you want to see if Floodpaw's really alive?" Mistpaw interrupted again, hope sliding into her tone as her ears perked, tail giving a small excited swish. At her side she was joined by the slender figure of the medicine cat apprentice. "Are you suggesting we go farther into the twolegplace and search for Floodpaw?" A sharp nod confirmed his suspicions. Casting a longing look behind his shoulders back where he presumed Fallenpaw and Flarepaw were, Anemonepaw sighed audibly. Mistpaw jerked her head to face him, eyes brimming with unshed tears. The tom winced. Who could defy a face like that?

He gave a reluctant nod, motioning her to take the lead. Smiling broadly, Mistpaw scurried to the lead, all signs of pain and panic long gone with the comfort of Anemonepaw. The medicine 'paw loped at a leisurely pace beside the white marked she-cat, though the said white blaze was hardly seen in the dim lightning. The duo moved in silence other than the soft crunch of grass beneath their paws. It soon morphed into stone, which had little effect on the OceanClan cats. They were used to the cracked stone of their territory, their paw pads toughened on long walks along the rocky shoreline. However, since Mistpaw had been recently named an apprentice, approximately four sunrises ago, her pads were not as sturdy as compared to a full grown warrior or even the medicine apprentice.

She tried not to make it a big deal, focusing on finding the almost black pelt of her brother rather than the sores appearing on her pink pads. Anemonepaw eyed her warily, noting the small limp she had on her left paw. He was about to speak up about it, but kept quiet. Even if he were to point it out, he had no access to herbs to help it heal nor would Mistpaw allow her quest to waver over an insignificant sore appendage.

Up ahead, Anemonepaw thought he heard growling, but dismissed it as he passed through the small gauntlet of noise and it faded into the sounds of the cool night. Oh a whim, he took in a sharp sniff to scent his surroundings. Nearly gagging, the tom locked up in shock. Never before had he smelled something this horrible next to the rotting fish carcass he found near the BlizzardClan border. Pondstar still held resentment towards Whitestar last time he checked, still believing that BlizzardClan had been eating some of their fish because they claimed "the snowhares were running fast". Pondstar let it slide until she found more substantial evidence but she was still tense around any BlizzardClan cat.

"Anemonepaw!" Mistpaw called from ahead, breaking the brown tom from his memories. He looked up suddenly, lurching forward with curiosity. He slowed to a stop by the eager she-cat currently pacing back and forth around an open hole in the stone earth. She poked her tail to it with a smile. "Floodpaw's scent is down there. I know that scent anywhere!"

Anemonepaw bent his muzzle down towards the dank depths of the hole and took a cautious sniff, fearing it would flood his nostrils with another rancid taste. His nose twitched disdainfully, there was a certain tang he couldn't describe, perhaps putrid was the right word. But among those jumbled odors was one in particular that Anemonepaw had familiarized himself with over the past few moons. It was that same essence he came in contact with during the owner's birth. Mistpaw's brother. Floodpaw.

"It's him," he confirmed with a bob of his crown.

"Then let's go!" Mistpaw lurched down the hole, head first. A shriek escaped Anemonepaw's jaws before they clamped around the apprentice's scruff._ Great StarClan, she's even more reckless than Flarepaw! If that's even possible..._

"Ou mouf-bwain!" he meowed angrily through her scuff. "Wook before ou weap." Straining against gravity pulling her downwards, the brown tom slowly lowered her as far as he could to the ground before releasing his grip. She landed gracefully on her paws, squinting through the dark tunnel. She was joined by Anemonepaw, his presence known by an awkward grunt. Crown lifted and pelt prickling, he too was squinting through the shadows. The tom continued to make cautious sniffs, the dank and musty air getting to his nostrils which caused slight recoil.

"It's harder to find his scent down here," Mistpaw mused aloud, uncertain. Her berry pink nose was twitching furiously, as if struggling to find the scent of her lost sibling. Sapphire orbs blinked several times, attempting to adjust to the poor lighting. Her fluffy crown twisted down the way both were facing, then over her shoulder to a similar, long dark hall. "You take left, I'll take right?" she suggested, blinking round eyes up at her companion.

"You sure you'll be alright on your own?" Anemonepaw looked at her doubtfully. "You've only been an apprentice for a few days, and even though I'm only a medicine apprentice, I've still got decent battle training. You've only had one session with Wavesplash. I don't know if you can fend off attacks if you get ambushed."

"Well, I suppose we can stick together," she mewed sheepishly, pawing at the stone ground. A bruske nod in return, both OceanClan cats padded down to the right part of the tunnel. The deeper they went, the darker it became, until it became nearly impossible to see their own paws. Claws clicked upon the ground, the steady dropping of water cascading from the roof of the tunnel. Due to the silence, their panicky breathing was easily heard.

"Calm down," Anemonepaw urged quietly. "You're only making yourself tense. If you believe Floodpaw is alive, then he's alive. Try to calm down and steady your breathing." Mistpaw complied, her breathing shaky until she managed to keep a steady hold on it. Anemonepaw's thin tail rested on her shoulder in comfort. The gray she-cat acknowledged it with a simple smile as they continued further down into the depths.

It wasn't long at all before the sharp tang of fear scent hit their nostrils like a blow to the head. Without words, both had increased their pace until they were practically sprinting down the remaining stretch of the dank space. Their daytime eyes had since been adjusted and now were able to make out two feline shapes at the far end.

"Haven't I told you prowlers before?" snarled a deep male voice, harsh and laced with malice. "Stay out of the sewers! This is my territory!"

"I didn't mean to!" cried a somewhat familiar shriek. "I was chased down here by a dog! Why don't you believe me?"

"You night prowlers are all the same!" spat the other tom, rearing to his hind paws. "Willing to say any lie to save their skins! This'll teach you to keep to the surface!" He brought his large grayed white paws down on the cowering shape beneath him. There was a startled scream, the almost black tom scurrying out of attacking range. Claws clicked against the stone as the dark gray blur came hurtling down the tunnel towards Mistpaw and Anemonepaw.

"Ouch!" came one simultaneous cry as three felines were knocked backwards. Muttering and growling about their pain, startled yellow eyes met blue in a single moment.

"Floodpaw?" Mistpaw mewed quizzically, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Mistpaw?" the dark gray tom mewed back in similar amazement.

"I think we've got more trouble than a family reunion," Anemonepaw spoke out loudly, watching as a dirty gray and white figure came charging down towards them.

"You're right," Floodpaw meowed in a suddenly calmer voice, somehow familiarized with the brown tom thought no name came immediately to mind. "Mistpaw, you ready?"

"Any time, Floodpaw," smirked the she-cat. Both crouched, eyes glinting with the intention of leaping and colliding with the gray and white tom.

"Head for the hills!" shrieked both siblings in glee, tails turned as the whirled around and started sprinting for the hole in the ceiling. Unaware of their sibling plot, Anemonepaw stared dumbfounded as the duo became nothing more than distant figures within seconds. As a huge gray paw was whisker lengths away, the brown tom released his own startled screech and flailed around on his paws. He chased after the two other OceanClanners, tense with wild emotions and blood rushing to his head.

"And stay out!" the roar thundered down the cavern, shock pulsing into the apprentices' hearts. By the time the blood stopped pumping to his ears, Anemonepaw was able to distinguish laughter up ahead. There by the hole in the roof were the two siblings continuing to laugh as the medicine apprentice ambled closer.

"What in StarClan's name is wrong with you two?" he called out in horror, pelt still fluffed up from their so called 'fight'. "You looked like you were going to fight him and them you just ran off! Without me, no less!"

"Sorry!" Mistpaw choked out through giggles, Floodpaw sharing her amused face. "We planned that as kits! Whenever an enemy bigger than us would advance, we'd pretend we would fight but change course and turn around, sprinting away at full speed before they knew what hit them!"

"We'd use it all the time on Fogstep!" Floodpaw howled with laughter, remembering the time they ran out of camp and were chased down by their father. As they looked as if they would fight him to remain outside of camp, both bolted past him and charged back into camp.

The dark gray 'paw stole a look at his sister. She had certainly appeared less timid, reminded of the past wherein Mistpaw was scared about everything and everyone, scared of speaking up of even talking to their parents. Playfully, he bumped his muzzle against hers which earned a purr in reply.

"Glad to see you're ok, sis," he meowed with a smile.

"Same to you," Mistpaw returned the grin.

Anemonepaw cleared his throat. "Hate to interrupt this touching moment, but I'd like to get out of here as quickly as possible. Not to mention find Flarepaw and Fallenpaw."

"You mean we're not the only ones who survived the flood?" the dark gray tom mewed with a tilted head, yellow orbs glinting with wonder. Mistpaw shook her head with eagerness. "A BlizzardClan apprentice named Fallenpaw and a MagmaClan apprentice named Flarepaw have survived as well. So far we're the only ones who have survived. We're trying to find any others who were able to outsmart the big wave."

"Do you think this Flarepaw and Fallenpaw found anyone?" Floodpaw asked curiously.

"One way to find out," Mistpaw purred, tail pointing to the overhead circle as she crouched, springing from the ground and out through the hole in a single bound.

_Longer chapter and aren't you happy? No cliffhanger! Well, unless you suppose them leaping through the hole...and no, nothing surprising is on the other side. Then of course, you still don't know who "Alpha" is. So I guess somewhat of a cliffhanger though that goes to the last chapter. Either way, keep reviewing! Until next time, stay amazing!_

_-Snarky_


	6. Alpha

The slender black she-cat pulled herself closer to the cream tom, purring loudly as she nuzzled his cheek. She leaned into the larger tom, shooting an all-knowing look to the dumbfounded figures of Flarepaw and Fallenpaw.

"Alpha...?" Fallenpaw tested the name- it didn't sound right.

"You'll address a leader with respect," the she-cat said rudely, tail held high in their air with her chest puffed. "Not a stuttering lump." She glanced to the cream cat on her side giving him an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry Alpha darling, I'll send for Adder to punish them."

"No need," spoke Alpha, staring across with a slate expression at the other felines. "I'll find out who they are myself and decide their punishment." The she-cat gave a dejected nod, slinking off into the shadows with a crestfallen look. Her paw steps echoed through the alley she ducked back into, pelt fading within seconds. "Now, I suggest the two of you tell me what you're doing here before I shred your pelts myself." His voice materialized into one cold as ice.

"Wildpaw? Don't you remember me? It's me, Fallenpaw." Fallenpaw stood aghast, body tense with struck emotion. Even Flarepaw seemed mildly shocked. The true Wildpaw they knew would be laughing it up like old times with best friend Fallenpaw, then proceed to try an attempt to hit on Flarepaw. Neither was happening.

"I know no one by that name," growled Alpha, claws sliding out. Since when was he so hostile? "I am Alpha. I am leader. I am strong. Are you one of those underground filth trying to take over the surface? No one takes my land without a fight." His cold green glare fell on the reddish she-cat, purring with a warmer tone. "You might want to scamper off, little blossom. I wouldn't want harm to come to you. Though I must say, you are prettier than Clarice. Wouldn't you stay here with me as my right-flank? We'd be inseparable, you and I."

His new tone sounded a lot more like the Wildpaw Flarepaw had known. But even now, she wasn't going to fall for his lustful antics. Her unsheathed claws glinted in what little moonlight there was, amber eyes blazing with hostility as she lashed out, catching his muzzle with a well aimed swipe. Eyes flashing with anger, she cast another glance to watch Alpha dab his bleeding muzzle with a paw.

"That wasn't very nice," he murmured, features then twisting into a sly grin. "But quite feisty if I do say so myself. You'd definitely be much better than Clarice. Come, we've got much to talk about."

Flarepaw's tail lashed. "I'm not going anywhere with you, BlizzardClan scum!"

"But I think you are," Alpha smirked, jaws parted in a shrill cry. Flarepaw and Fallenpaw tensed up, eyes round with horror as several shadows loomed closer. They leaped with silence and in mere seconds their prey was pinned beneath their claws.

"Get offa me!" roared the struggling lump of red fur, thrashing wildly.

"Temper, temper," tsked Alpha, amused. He turned around with a whisk of his tail, padding back into the shadows. The shadows pinning down the two apprentices shoved them to their paws, roughly forcing them into the alley where the cream tom had disappeared. What irked Flarepaw was that they were easily ambushed without any forewarning. Normally, she would've been able to scent them but their captors were silent and sneaky, not to mention snarky.

"Keep moving," growled the large black and gray tom to Flarepaw once she started resisting the inevitable push forward into the dank, cramped tunnel. The ruffled she-cat continued to hiss and spit, trying any means as a route to escape. Only when did she receive a cuff to the head and threatening claws at her throat did she cease her attacks. Fallenpaw gave her a warning glare, eyes narrowed as he subtly motioned for her to remain that way until everything was sorted out.

Their paw pads were sore from walking on the ground, cracked bits of earth nipping at the soft pink. Something sharp cut into one of Flarepaw's pads.

"Ouch!" her legs buckled, body collapsing on the littered alley floor. Without giving her a chance to inspect it, she was shoved to her feet again and pushed ahead. Stifling hisses of pain, Flarepaw tried her best to ignore the stinging nettle wedged in her pad. Pain like this reminded her of when she first went above ground from the magma caves. On her first day into the sunshine, she had clumsily stumbled into a thorn patch, burrs clinging to her pelt and more than a few thorns lodged deep within her pads. Flickerdapple had her paws full for the rest of that day.

Fallenpaw looked at her with concern. "You ok? You look like you're in pain."

"I'm fine," she hissed out through gritted teeth. Fallenpaw had to give her admiration; Flarepaw was as stubborn as they come. She wasn't about to let something in her paw to stop her from walking. His features turned into a doubtful grimace but his jaws remained clamped shut.

Bits of light bloomed from the sides of the narrow alleyway. Spotlights of the miniature suns revealing the interior of the open tunnel. On either sides of the intruders were cardboard boxes, many torn and covered with street grime. Glimmering orbs, tired and irritated poked from the shadowy boxes, somewhat intrigued by the newcomers. The same black she-cat leaped from her high perch on a windowsill, halting in front of the bristled cream tom with a hostile glare.

"You haven't done away with them yet?" she pouted, brow furrowed with disappointment. She ran a tail along Alpha's spine, purring silkily. "I'd have thought you'd have killed them by now. But I suppose you wanted an audience. Everyone! Our Alpha has returned with prisoners who are deemed to be executed by law of the surface!"

"Doesn't the Alpha have the power to call meetings?" sneered Flarepaw, hiding pain from her tone as she thought of the great Clan leaders calling the gathering to start.

"And you are...?" the she-cat glanced disdainfully at Flarepaw while bedraggled felines scrambled from their homes. Their pelts were heavily matted and some were scarred with battle wounds. Ignoring the felines behind her, she added with a sniff. "Not much to look at. She's awful small if anything."

Growling lowly, Flarepaw felt her claws slide out subconsciously. If there was anything that rubbed her fur the wrong way, it would be any stuck up mouseheart having the audacity to call her "small". For moons as a kit, Flarepaw had been the runt of her litter, growth lacking even once she hit apprenticeship. She remained a small kit whom everyone scorned and doubted her abilities to survive outside the nursery. The first one who had said that to her- her former denmate Wolfkit- had wound up with a nasty scar on his muzzle. Sure, she had been heavily scolded by many of her clanmates including Darkstar, but it had given her satisfaction anyhow.

"What's wrong, deary?" the black feline purred, sensing the reddish apprentice's discomfort. "Did I hit a nerve? Good. And regards to your snide remark, I'm Alpha's right-flank, Clarice. That gives me the authority to call my cats for a meeting. You mean nothing to anyone here. If Alpha hadn't held off your death, you'd have been dead before even reaching here. Consider our great leader's choice. The merciful Alpha has offered you a few more minutes of life." Glossy tail lashing, Clarice stalked off and took her place on the sill. Her chest puffed out with pride, staring down at the gathered cats below. She flicked her tail as she scooted over to give room. Her warm green gaze fell on the cream figure of Alpha as she motioned for his presence. Purring loudly, Alpha moved away from the prisoners and took his seat by Clarice, chest puffed out regally.

_Who'd of thought Wildpaw being Wildstar?_ Flarepaw thought scornfully, shaking her head. _I don't care what he says. There's no doubt that he's Wildpaw. But even so, no cat deserves leadership unless it's me. Wow, Flarepaw. That's a little vain, even for you..._

Her thoughts were cut short as Alpha's voice boomed throughout the alley. "Cats of the surface! While out during our night hunt, we have discovered trespassers from the underground." He paused to hear the cries of dismay from the crowd. Angry shouts and snarls rose above into hearing until Alpha waved a paw for silence. When they quieted, he resumed. "As I was saying...Smokey, bring forth these underground scum."

More clamoring shouts echoed down the alleyway as the large smokey gray tom shouldered Flarepaw and Fallenpaw into the ring of light where the surface cats surrounded, blocking escape.

"These two have been charged with the crime of hunting in surface cat land. Their punishment: execution." Alpha couldn't help but allow a smirk to cross his muzzle. Only being leader for a few days he had already grown fond of the executions of underground filth. "You all know how these things roll. Who would we like to see die first?"

"The pretty one!"

"The she-cat!"

"Her with the red pelt!"

Both Flarepaw and Fallenpaw felt terror rush through their veins, pelts involuntarily bristling with fear. Their eyes were round like moons as they stared around the outskirts of the ring.

"Very well," purred Alpha. "Smokey, take the tom out of the ring. Leave the she-cat."

Upon his leader's command, the big gray tom pulled Fallenpaw out of the ring who was fighting the whole way back, begging to take Flarepaw's place. "Let me go for her!" he screeched, but in vain once he was pinned outside the circle, but still given a clear view of the paralyzed she-cat.

Alpha sighed with pity. "Dearest blossom, you have a way out from being executed. You only have to agree being my mate, I'd let you have Clarice's spot as right-flank. What do you say? Spend the rest of your life with me or die right here right now?" The lustful glint was back in his eyes, obviously hoping she would choose option number one.

Pure rage blazed within Flarepaw's amber eyes, churning any spectator's stomach with unease. "Never!" she howled with fury, pelt bristling. "In the name of MagmaClan, if I am to die, I will die with honor!"

"MagmaClan..." Alpha drawled quietly, eyes shut with thought and muzzle bent into a frown. Clarice eyed him suspiciously and cleared her throat. "Yes, now, who will be her opponent?"

"Clarice!" one unanimous vote was cast and the black she-cat swelled with pride. "Very well. As my duty as right-flank, I will cast out the plague ridden, underground garbage who dares hunt on the surface." She leaped down from the sill into the ring of light, sizing up her much smaller opponent.

"Bring it on then, dainty paws." Flarepaw hissed bravely as an attempt to hide her fear, dropping into a crouch as she tried to remember her training. _Ah Blazefur, you were by far the oldest warrior but now I need your guidance._ She cast a wary glimpse at the struggling pelt of Fallenpaw. He was still desperately trying to get into the ring, eyes blazing with fear and a hint of anger. Giving a tense swallow, she tried to message that everything was ok. Fallenpaw winced, shaking his head but it was Flarepaw's turn for payback.

_Stay there,_ she motioned with her paws, mouthing the words to her BlizzardClan companion. Biting his tongue, the orange and white tom stopped struggling and reluctantly watched.

"Get ready to watch your friend die," snarled Clarice to Fallenpaw, smirking as she swung her head back to face the crouching 'paw. Without waiting for a signal to begin, the black she-cat hurled herself at her opponent, claws unsheathed. Flarepaw reared up to meet her, ivory claws glinting in the light of the twoleg constructed sun.

Being bigger, Clarice rammed her full weight into the tiny body of the apprentice. The she-cat's legs buckled under the sudden weight, allowing herself to take the first blow.

_Remember your training!_ she hissed to herself, mind whirling to a training session with Wolfpaw. The muzzle scarred gray tom had been bigger than her, using his size to his advantage. But using a newly taught move courtesy of Blazefur, she was able to take the match.

Her amber eyes shot open as she rolled with the attack, kicking out with her hind paws and sending the larger cat flying. While Clarice scrambled to her paws, this gave Flarepaw time to do the same and get a head start on the next attack. Teeth bared, Flarepaw aimed for the throat. But dizzy as she might appear, Clarice was ready, clipping the reddish cat's jaw with a well timed swipe upwards. The blow sent her staggering and open while the black feline dove for the legs. She swiftly gripped her hind leg with yellowed fangs, yanking upward sharply. An ear splitting _pop_ was heard as Flarepaw felt the bone pulled from its socket. She bit her lip to restrain a pained yowl.

_Great, a dislocated hind leg and there's still something lodged in my pad,_ Flarepaw thought angrily, scolding herself for being beaten too easily. _It's not over yet. This is far from being over._ Using her strength, Flarepaw's black forepaw lashed out and connected with Clarice's muzzle. She writhed and twisted away to prepare another attack. As Clarice loomed closer, she struck out and was smirking broadly as she found her claws scoring deep cuts in the black she-cat's cheek. Clarice took the blow without flinching, putting her weight against the smaller cat. She fell against her injured leg and somehow managed to push it back into its place. This time, Flarepaw yowled with relief though it was still inflamed with pain and she found it hard to put pressure on.

The small red feline hobbled around in the ring, lashing out with a swipe or two. Clarice retaliated, matching each blow with similar strength. Both were locked into a ball of hissing fluff, rolling around in the ring of light clawing at each other's pelts. A cuff to the head brought them apart, pelts bloody with a mixture of their own and their opponent's blood. Scarlet paste streaked through their ruffled fur, each glaring at one another with hostility. The match so far had been a draw and neither was willing to lose.

Clarice lunged, Flarepaw clumsily rearing on one hind paw. She came crashing down onto the black bodied she-cat and they fell into claw to claw combat once again. With a final snarl, Clarice heaved herself on top of Flarepaw. Panting with fatigue, Clarice loomed over the pinned prisoner, an evil smirk dancing on her lips. Those lips pulled back to reveal slightly red fangs, bared and preparing to sink into Flarepaw's throat.

"Light's out, kitty," she snarled, jabbing her muzzle forward.

"Wait!" an empty screech split the air, everything falling into silence. Flarepaw was still tense, eyes shut as she awaited the final blow. Fallenpaw had refused to look, orange paws covering his eyes. Clarice's teeth hung limply over Flarepaw's throat, hovering a less than a whisker length away. All eyes sought the speaker from the crowd before floating up to the windowsill where Alpha stood, green eyes flashing with surprise as his mouth slowly closed. His jaws snapped open again after a drawn out silence.

"I remember!"

_Oooooooo...What does the great Alpha remember? Meh, I kinda feel bad for the cliffhanger since everyone's probably tired of them... :/ But it's necessary and I think this is my longest chapter at just about 3,000 words. So don't get snarky with me for putting in a cliffhanger, next chapter will be up tomorrow most likely. Give me a good few hours. On another note, keep reviewing! I suppose I don't need them in fear of my ego getting bigger but it makes me feel content knowing people are out there enjoying fan-made stories. Or stories in general. Until next time my lovelies!_

_-Snarky_


	7. Wildpaw Remembers

"I remember..." Alpha trailed off, green eyes growing distant while the bloodied shape of Clarice, still pinning Flarepaw, looked angry. Tail tip twitching furiously, the black she-cat clambered off the hissing body of the apprentice and started to slink toward the ring. "You!" Alpha shrieked, gaze boring into Clarice. The ring of cats refused to let her pass back into the crowd, forcing her to remain inside the spotlight.

Alpha leaped from his perch, eyes flashing with a mixture of pain and rage. "You." He circled Clarice, who was already looking uncomfortable. Her own green eyes darted from cat to cat, occasionally glancing at the heaving Flarepaw who had yet to move from her place, bleeding onto the stone. A grunt came from the outside ring, _Fallenpaw_ pushing himself into the golden light and crouching next to the red she-cat. Her gaze was obviously pained, thought somewhat relieved. Her jaws opened to speak, but Fallenpaw swept his tail across her muzzle, asking her to remain silent by a simple look. Their attention drifted back to the bristling cream tom and the shaking black she-cat.

"It was you all along," Alpha continued to circle dangerously, an explanation still needed from many of the surrounding felines.

"What was I supposed to do?" spat Clarice, bloodied fangs bared as she tried not to appear weak in front of everyone. "A strange cat appears out of nowhere with no recollection of his past. You were cute enough, and after the death of our former Alpha, I decided to make you into our new leader and settle in as your mate. After you started murmuring in your sleep a night or two ago, I decided to keep up the charade to keep you here rather than have you run back to your "BlizzardClan"." Her gaze swept to Fallenpaw and Flarepaw. "Then these two waltz in, the orange one smelling like you before you became Alpha. And once they started calling you Wildpaw, I knew they had to be killed. Luck was in my favor once you refused to acknowledge yourself as anything but Alpha. But you still wouldn't kill them off after it was so obvious that they were underground spies. I had to situate the execution and hope both would die. I didn't expect one word to bring back your memories though. I would've been known as the mate of the Alpha! Taking over the surface once you 'mysteriously' died."

"You fox-heart!" snarled Alpha- Wildpaw, regaining the tongue of the Clans. Another wave of memory came flashing through his green orbs. His chest puffed out proudly, muzzle pointed upwards. "I am Wildpaw! Wildpaw of BlizzardClan! Never will I lead this rag-tag group of selfish liars! And you-" His furious glare swept to Clarice in a heartbeat. "-I trusted you. From the moment I woke up from the blackness, I trusted you. Maybe I could've been your mate and stood by your side, if you had been truthful with me. Now you're nothing but a scrawny cave mouse with a heart as black as your pelt. You wormgutted fiends disgust me. And to make one other thing perfectly clear before I leave this place of filth, no one harms my friends. Got that, dungface?" The cream tom whirled around in bottled fury without waiting for an answer, expression softening as he paused beside his companions.

"See you've been paying attention to my colorful vocabulary," Flarepaw forced a chuckle, followed by a sharp cough.

"Don't speak," Fallenpaw ordered sharply, whacking her muzzle sternly with his tail. "Nice to have you back. Wildpaw."

"Good to be back. Fallenpaw," the cream tom dipped his head. "Sorry I was such a mouse-brain. These liars kind of messed with my head."

"We should leave before things get ugly," Fallenpaw announced quietly, inaudibly forgiving his clanmate. "I'm fairly sure Flarepaw knocked her bone out of joint and there's something in her pad...I'll get Anemonepaw to look at it. What's up with you and getting hurt?" he mock complained, giving the she-cat an exasperated look before slinging her small, limp body over his back.

"Guess that's the price of being me," she rasped, fighting back another wheezing cough. As the trio trekked forward, Wildpaw clung to the rear, fighting off dirty looks from the onlookers, making sure they knew he was leaving for good. The glowing of the mini suns faded, leaving the small clan cat troup to move ahead through the cramped alleyway in darkness and in silence. As they stepped out from the alley and their pads touched another form of stone, they slowed to a halt. Fallenpaw's muzzle tipped up, green eyes scanning the horizon where thin streams of light were peeking over.

"Welcome back," the orange and white tom released a soft purr, ignoring the stagnant air that had an overbearing scent of rotting twoleg trash.

"Yeah," the bristled tom's cream pelt ruffled. His nose wrinkled. "Though I could do without these scents."

"Why?" Fallenpaw joked. "Weren't you used to them while Alpha?" He heard Wildpaw snort. "I suppose so, but once I fully convinced myself I wasn't their Alpha, everything sort of fell apart. My taste and scent for example. Remind me never to eat crowfood again." The traumatized BlizzardClan apprentice shuddered, earning a short chuckle from his orange and white companion. Fallenpaw's gaze drifted to the lump on his back, the she-cat's eyes shut with fatigue as she gave a soft snore. He couldn't help but let a small smile cross his features

"So I guess a lot happened while I was missing, hmm?" Wildpaw took a sly glance at his friend and the MagmaClan 'paw. Fallenpaw felt the heat rise to his cheeks and ear tips, pelt bristling. "N-no," he stuttered out, flustered with Wildpaw's suggestive statement. The said apprentice flicked his tail, "So she's still available then."

"Wildpaw, I'm pretty sure when a she-cat screams that she doesn't want to be your mate, it means she doesn't want to be your mate," the light green eyed tom mewed in exasperation. The cream tom held his head high, prancing forward into the lighter area of the street. "There's still hope," he grinned to himself, leaving Fallenpaw to shake his head amusedly. _Same old Wildpaw._ Taking one last glance behind his shoulder to make sure his rescue-e was still safe, Fallenpaw made long strides after his clanmate along the stone path.

"Wait!" Wildpaw's pelt fluffed, dark eyes narrowed like the alleyway they recently vacated. Ears perked and nose twitching, Fallenpaw slowed to a halt beside him, equally tense.

"What it it?" he meowed cautiously, claws subconsciously sliding out and scraping against the stone. Wildpaw's whiskers were twitching, a twisted grimace of confusion spread across his muzzle. "OceanClan?" he inquired, puzzled. The hairs along Fallenpaw's spine relaxed, a small sigh passing his lips. "Oh, I neglected to tell you we aren't the only survivors from the flood. We have two OceanClanners with us. Though, I still have no idea where they are. We came looking for them when we ran into Alpha and Clarice."

"Why'd they come here?" Wildpaw questioned, stance relaxed and nose twitching for a more distinguishable scent.

"That would be Flarepaw's doing," Fallenpaw sighed, eyes rolling as he cast a peek at the matted and bloody pelt of the lightly snoring she-cat. "She really knows how to get under a cat's pelt."

Wildpaw shrugged. "That's Flarepaw for you. Haven't you told her to keep that temper under check?"

"Countless times." Fallenpaw flicked an ear. His slender crown lowered to the ground, berry colored nose twitching furiously in hopes of finding the two runaways. "They've been here not too long ago," he surmised, looking up to see where the trail was leading. "They headed back into the twolegplace." Lifting himself from the slight crouch, the long legged tom made haste across the stone, hearing the ragged breathing of the out of shape Wildpaw a few tail lengths behind. Even with the load of Flarepaw, Fallenpaw was able to outpace the cream tom. Still, he paid that little attention, mind focused on finding the two others of their party. They couldn't have made it too far, then again, Flarepaw and Fallenpaw had lost a lot of time searching when taken captive by Alpha and the rest of those lying surface mouse-hearts.

The small group of 'paws were practically sprinting along the rough stone which scraped against their already sore pads. When another alleyway came into view, Fallenpaw noticed Wildpaw hang back a few more tail lengths, slowing to a trot. The orange and white tom furthered his approach, the scent of OceanClan growing stronger with every bound. Another large leap later and the sharp scents flooded his nostrils causing him to jerk to a halt. The scents of Mistpaw and Anemonepaw were the strongest around a circular hole in the ground. The cream tom came up to his side, taking a wary glance at the hole.

"You think they're in there?" he asked, voice somehow flat and void of emotion. Fallenpaw's jaws parted to reply but was cut off as a flash of light gray erupted from the hole, sapphire orbs alight with surprise.

"Oomph!" the two cried in unison, Fallenpaw knocked back from the impact and now on his side, the smaller gray shape laying atop.

"Fallenpaw!" the shape squealed, the orange and white crown lifting awkwardly to see who had pinned him. "Mistpaw!" he exclaimed when realization set in. Laughing lightly, Mistpaw clambered off, letting the tom to his paws. Another moment later and a lithe brown cat lept from the circle, followed by a darker gray pelt.

"Take that Flarepaw!" Mistpaw crowed in triumph, flicking her tail to the dark gray tom. "We found Floodpaw!" Her gaze scanned the cats until it landed on the almost unmoving shape of the MagmaClan cat who lay a fox length from Fallenpaw when she was knocked off. She gasped in horror at her blood stained pelt. "What happened?" her shrill squeak dropped to a frightened whisper.

"She took a heavy beating from one of the surface cats," Wildpaw meowed solemnly, not willing to name the name of the she-cat who had betrayed him and hurt the beautiful blossom. "She's unconscious but otherwise fine."

"Who's this?" Mistpaw spoke up, still terrified as her sapphire gaze set on the newcomer.

"This is Wildpaw, and Flarepaw may be unconscious but she's still hurt." Fallenpaw growled, retreating to Anemonepaw. "She dislocated one of her hind legs during a fight and got something stuck deep in her pad. Can you look at it?"

"Hurt again," the brown tom sighed but reluctantly moved over to the she-cat, letting Mistpaw, Floodpaw and Wildpaw get acquainted. He crouched beside the faintly breathing red feline, though her pelt was nearly unseen due to the dried blood spatter. He inspected her hind leg, vaguely listening to the introductions being passed around among the BlizzardClan and OceanClan cats. Fallenpaw was hovering over the medicine cat's shoulder, eagerly watching with worried eyes. "I can't have you over my shoulder when I'm working," the brown tom said stiffly, hearing a squeak of dismay as the other tom pulled away with an awkward, "sorry." Anemonepaw resumed working, somewhat distraught without the use of his herbs. He poked his patient's haunches, relieved to find them both in place but one of them weaker than the other. He assumed Flarepaw must have been able to push it back in, but the numb pain still lingered. Giving a nod, the medicine 'paw assured himself that she would be fine with more rest. His ear twitched worriedly when looking at her front, swollen paw. Something had lodged itself inside from what he could observe, the flesh around it inflamed with soreness. When crouching down to inspect it more closely, Anemonepaw spotted a glint of clear and internally winced. Glass. Covering up a sigh of pity, he bent down, muzzle level with her wounded paw. Jutting from her red pad was a rather large shard of glass. Many time had the apprentice seen glass on the beach, his mentor often warning him to be careful around it when out searching for herbs.

_Like a thorn, glass in your pads can easily become infected_, he remembered his mentor's words of wisdom. One of the few things spoken to him before the later events.

"You're one stubborn fool," he murmured, observing Flarepaw's matted, bloody pelt, along with her formerly dislocated hind leg, and not forgetting the shard of glass that had yet to be removed. "You can't keep up this tough act forever though. One day, you'll end up bleeding to death just because I wasn't there to help." Another brief sigh escaped his parted jaws, muzzle yearning forward. His teeth barely gripped the glass edge, tugging slightly as a feeble attempt to dislodge it. When it wouldn't budge, Anemonepaw was forced into darker methods.

By now, the chatter had ceased, all eyes on the medicine apprentice and his patient. Though Floodpaw and Mistpaw hadn't known her for long, both felt weary at the thought of the pain she must be going through.

Anemonepaw reached out with his claws, hesitant for a few seconds before scraping away the flesh surrounding the shard. More droplets of crimson pooled from the newly created wound, the brown tom feeling the internal wincing of his companions. If I'm going to get this shard out, I have to create a larger wound, he told himself firmly, scraping more of the soft skin aside with sharp claws.

After a few minutes of struggling, Anemonepaw was able to create a large enough opening and was able to slide the glass from the she-cat's pad easily. A painful moan rumbled from her mouth, teeth bared in suppressed agony. It appeared as if she was waking from her unconscious slumber and beginning to feel the tingle around her injured paw. Anemonepaw bit back a frustrated growl. _Cobwebs would've been helpful. As would marigold in case it gets infected. She'll have to go without it for a while, just until we get out of here._

"She'll have to stay put," he announced to the others. "I don't want to stay here either but we can't risk having her wander around putting weight on either foot." He was referring to the glass embedded pad and the dislocated joint.

"But I wanna get out of here," Mistpaw protested weakly, eyes shimmering with fear. "It stinks and we'd be easy prey for roaming twolegs, it's dawn!"

"Yeah," agreed Floodpaw, tail tip twitching.

"I'd want nothing more than to leave this place behind," grumbled Wildpaw.

"Then how are we going to get out of here without having Flarepaw walking around?" Anemonepaw pressed, seeing that his way was right.

"We can carry her," Fallenpaw announced, padding to the she-cat who was slowly waking from her unconscious state, blearily struggling to understand what was going on. "As stubborn as she will be to fight it, she can't walk for a while. Therefore, carrying her is the only option." As if to prove his point that it would work, the orange and white tom slipped the muttering feline on his back, already turning for the alley entrance where soft beams of light already hit the stone.

Anemonepaw looked about to protest, biting back a retort as the others joined their BlizzardClan leader, trailing behind him as loyal followers.

He sighed, amused. "You win, Fallenpaw. You win." And quickly scampered after the party of five who disappeared into the light.

_Snarky apologizes for her late update! But I've been recently swamped with homework and other boring stuff. Thank StarClan Spring Break is only four days away, I'll be able to write more. Until then, let this chapter curb your thirst for adventure. Wildpaw's joined the group after his little remembering episode, and we're reunited with Mistpaw, Floodpaw and Anemonepaw. Yay! All six are here and it's time for the real trials to begin...Mwhahaha... _

_Also, I've created a new story called_ Dreams._ I won't spoil any of the details but it's about a cat in a boring life when awake, but in his dreams...anything can happen...So why don't you all hop on over there, stop in to read and review and I'll give you all much awarded thank yous. And for those who like Wings of Fire, I've written the prologue to my first WoF_ story, Queen's Rebellion._ Like before, stop in, read, review, follow, favorite and your input is much appreciated. Ta-ta for now._

_-Snarky_


	8. Safe

Pale light streamed in through the canopy of green, a warm draft passing through the familiar woods. Tall oaks stood proud and strong, host to many sturdy branches each donned with a vast array of small vibrant leaves. Settled at the base of one of many trees, the group of six relished in the comforts of what reminded them of their home. Several sunrises had passed since their adventure into the twolegplace. They had escaped to the nearby forest that branched off from the thunderpath and now, they were replenishing energy while the MagmaClan apprentice recovered from her bruising.

Currently, Mistpaw curled up beside Floodpaw, pelts pressed together like true siblings who had been successfully reunited. Both offered soft snores, all the while ignoring the pacing orange and white tom who stood out several fox lengths from their makeshift hollow among the roots. Ears perked, alert, the BlizzardClan apprentice craned his slender crown around a thickly set oak, eyes vacant with lack of sleep. Like round, emerald moons, Fallenpaw struggled to continue his border patrol without his legs giving out and falling flat on his face. Mind warped with his own hazy thoughts, the overly exhausted 'paw hadn't noticed the weak pawsteps gliding closer.

"Fallenpaw? What are you doing up? It's dawn and you didn't wake me up for my shift."

Fallenpaw whirled around, pelt bristled, eyes wide and claws out with surprise. Upon seeing who had advanced, he relaxed slightly. It was only Wildpaw. The cream colored tom gave his friend a wary look.

"Fallenpaw, you feeling alright?" he asked with a frown. "You look absolutely wasted and I was supposed to take next watch."

"Didn't want to wake you," Fallenpaw meowed stiffly, voice scratchy and dry as he shuddered to a sitting position.

"Well either way, it's not good for you to stay up all night," Wildpaw argued, fluffy tail swishing as he nudged his fellow apprentice to his paws. "You haven't been getting enough sleep these past few days. How many times must Anemonepaw say this: Flarepaw is going to be fine. She's out of her little coma and it'll just be a little longer before she's fit to travel again. You can't do this to yourself otherwise poor Anemonepaw will have to deal with a sleep-deprived monstrosity."

"But I was just gonna- " the other tom drawled with a long yawn to signify his true lack of sleep. "keep a-a watch on the hollow..."

"And you've done an excellent job of doing so," Wildpaw gave an appreciative nod, furthering his attempts to lead the barely conscious tom to the tree roots. "But now I think it's best for you to get some rest. Mistpaw would freak if she saw you like this. You're basically a walking wreck."

Fallenpaw grinned idiotically. "Thank you."

Wildpaw shook his wide-set head with a sigh. "Wasn't a compliment." Once settled by the protruding roots, Wildpaw shoved Fallenpaw down onto a mossy bed near Flarepaw, the said she-cat slumbering peacefully. Fallenpaw looked up at his with another hazy glance, still grinning. "Now what daddy?"

Wildpaw stifled a sigh, knowing very well of Fallenpaw's antics if he was deprived of a well deserved nap. Even in the nursery, the first time the kit tried to pull an all-nighter, Fallenpaw had ended up acting loopy the next morning, confusing Wildpaw for his father. Wildpaw didn't severely mind, finding it somewhat amusing to find the usually sane leader-like tom as an innocent kitten.

"Daddy's going to go take watch, you are going to sleep," he answered in the best commanding voice. He gave a satisfactory grin to find Fallenpaw obediently nod and curl up tightly, wriggling closer to the nearest source of warmth which happened to be a petite, red-furred, short tempered MagmaClan 'paw. Within a few minutes of droopy yawning and struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position pressed up against Flarepaw, the orange and white tom found his comfort spot and drifted to la-la land.

The scruffy pelted BlizzardClanner whisked his tail across his fellow apprentice's ears before twirling around and sauntering off in the direction both were moments ago. Green eyes bright with attentiveness, his thick furred crown twisted from side to side in attempts to scan the terrain surrounding him and the others. A flash of brown caught the corner of his vision.

"Morning Anemonepaw," Wildpaw meowed dismissively, catching himself and nearly tripping over his own large paws. "Wait- Anemonepaw?" His gaze whirled on the medicine apprentice, eyes rounded with confusion. "What are you doing up and about?"

"Can't a cat make dirt without drawing attention from nosy kits?" the sleek pelted feline snapped crankily, much like an aging elder despite his youthful age of only about twelve moons.

Wildpaw winced, regretting speaking aloud. "Oh, ah, sorry." Which in turn, resulted in an irritated scoff from the other apprentice before ambling off into the denser foliage. Feeling overly embarrassed, the usually lusty tom had the good graces to turn his back and toddle off in the opposite direction, leaving Anemonepaw to his own devices.

Ears perked to listen for the fading pawsteps, Anemonepaw remained still, crouched in a small copse of overlapping ferns. It was in his best interest to lie. Had he told Wildpaw where he was really going, it would only draw unwanted attention. To make the most of the journey, it would be easier to travel alone. Picking up his small paws, the sage green-eyed apprentice slunk deeper into the flora, his thin brown tail trailing behind through the darkening shadows. His long whiskers brushed up against the bushes on either side, nose twitching furiously for a single scent among hundreds.

He felt the moist dirt squish in between his pink pads, firmly packing into the crevices as he trekked further into the woods. He told himself to be back soon, Flarepaw's coverings would have to be changed. Early on in their set up at the root hollow, Anemonepaw manged to find the interior laced with some cobwebs which immediately went to patching up Flarepaw's cuts and scrapes- mostly her previously untreated paw. If he didn't want his head chewed off by his patient's foul temper, he would have to return with something worthwhile and quickly.

_There!_

His nostrils flared with delight, having found the object of his search quite easily. Beyond the thick lining of outcropping leaves, swallowed up in the midday sun out in the open, a patch of sunshine yellow leaves stood out among the stunning green. Bowing his head to pass through the circular entrance, Anemonepaw slipped out into the light where golden spots bloomed upon his sleek brown pelt. As he reached out with a forepaw to collect the plant, a set of four dirty white paws prevented access by stepping right on it.

Anemonepaw reeled back in surprise, an instinctive hiss echoing from his opening jaws. He surveyed the attacker who stood in a crouch, hovering over the crushed herbs.

"The marigold!" he yelped in surprise, knowing very useful herbs had just been wasted at the expense of a white footed, gray tabby. Furious, the tom's glare bored into the other's deep blue. "You squid-brained, self absorbed, cowardly, moth-faced, ant-puking, wretched little spawn of a grimy, slimy maggot!" The string of curses felt natural as each word was spoken, making him wonder if he had been spending too much time around Flarepaw and her colorful vocabulary.

"Spawn of a maggot, huh?" the gray tabby remarked, mildly amused. "As for the 'marigold'," she gestured to the plants smashed beneath her very own paws. "It wasn't going to help me out."

"So you crush it into nothingness?" Anemonepaw screeched, losing his temper. He caught his tongue before he had the chance to spill out another wave of harsh words. _That's it, I've definitely been spending way too much time around Flarepaw... _Clearing his throat and acting somewhat civilized, "Some cat could've used those. Instead, you waste valuable supplies by stepping on them."

"Hey, I know they don't work," the tabby retorted, puffing out her chest as she began smearing the crushed plant juice off her pads. "I've been feeding them to my patients and it doesn't do anything remotely helpful."

"Feeding...?" Realization dawned on the dumbfounded 'paw. It quickly turned into agony and irritation. "You don't feed marigold leaves to cats! You put it into a poultice and it helps by keeping wounds from getting infected!"

The tabby tilted her head, tufted ears perked with interest. "You seem to know a lot about these things."

Anemonepaw snorted. "I should. I was trained by the best to be a medicine cat."

"Medicine cat?"

"Yeah, the cat in my Clan that helps heal the other cats," the apprentice reeled off information, forgetting that the tabby had no information about the Clans.

"Clan?"

"A group of cats, essentially."

"Does that mean you know how to treat a large group of cats?" Anemonepaw didn't feel at ease with the almost predatory look in the tabby's sharp eyes. He offered a small nod in response. "Then you're just what I need!" Anemonepaw didn't have the time to react before he felt the inflammation swarming his temple, followed by the thump of his limp body hitting the solid earth. Black spots dotted his vision, swiftly morphing into a blank slate of shadows.

* * *

"Ngh...where are I...?" the slurred tone of OceanClan's medicine cat apprentice wafted into the stagnant air. Taking a sniff of his surroundings before even beginning to attempt and open his eyes, the sleek brown tom was met with the rancid tastes of a similar place he and his companions had only recently escaped. Bleary eyed, Anemonepaw blinked open his hazy orbs, a rugged silhouette towering over him with a deep glint in dark blue spheres.

"Glad to see you're awake, sleepy-head!" a loud chirp from the hovering tabby rung in Anemonepaw's sensitive ears.

"Don't scream so loud!" he protested, cringing as he flexed into a tight ball, eyelids squished shut and teeth gritted. The tabby seemed oblivious to his protests and instead started working on getting him to his paws.

"Ok ok," the tabby gave in, watching with amusement as the tom swung his head around swiftly as if trying to figure out where he was. From the surrounding features, it wasn't too difficult to distinguish a vague idea. Cardboard boxes lay stacked up against one another, thrown into messy piles in the corner between a stone wall and a wooden fence. The overall musk was tainted with blood and grime, the disgusting scents of sickness thrown into the mix. The only reason the young apprentice wasn't heaving at the foul smell was the fact he was used to it. Working in the medicine district had its perks as well as its faults. Many of those included bombarding your nostrils with the overbearing and rather unpleasant fragrance of blood as well as illness.

Looking closer at the mentioned boxes stacked sloppily against the corner, his foggy optics distinguished the scruffy, unkempt pelts of other felines taking refuge with the tattered cardboard. He watched as a lazy white paw shifted from its sheltered hole, attempting to swat at what appeared to be a wandering moth. A series of harsh coughs escaped from the box above, shaking the pile much to the disdain of the others based on their complaining whines. Weak, kitten-like mewls resonated near the base, a symphony of three high pitched wails begging for food.

"Sickening, isn't it?" Anemonepaw wasn't aware he was grimacing when the tabby spoke up beside him, watching as he observed the enclosure. "Come on," she mewed softly, taking the lead over to the large clump. Too warped in his thoughts to retaliate and escape, Anemonepaw found himself distracted by the odors of sickness as he followed silently after the feline.

"Hey, kittens," the tabby turned her eyes full of forced compassion at three scraps of fur. One was gray, another ginger and white, the last being black. It was clear all were underfed by their defined ribs jutting out from their pelts that looked as if they had never been groomed properly. Anemonepaw felt a pang of guilt just looking at them. "Auntie Mistle is here for you," she added, nuzzling each kit on the head with motherly love. The kits' cries died down slightly, reduced to timid murmurs for food. "Auntie has some things to take care of and then she'll bring you back something to eat. Mew, look after your sisters," the tabby licked the ginger and white's head before backing up and out of the box, motioning for the brown 'paw to follow.

"So, Mistle's your name, correct?" Anemonepaw attempted to make conversation as the gray tabby picked up something yellow and full of holes that vaguely looked like moss. That is, if moss was that shocking shade of yellow. She dipped it gingerly in a small puddle of dirty water, nodding to the tom before scaling the box pile towards the top. Anemonepaw stayed on her heels as the duo made it to the pile's summit. Mistle slid inside, Anemonepaw peering from outside. Sprawled out on her side near the back, a patchy brown and white she-cat wheezed and huffed, yellow eyes shot and clouded with fear.

"There there, Nikki," Mistle laid down the water soaked rectangle near the she-cat's muzzle. "Drink up, you'll need your strength." While her breathing remained choppy and harsh, her yellow orbs seemed to relax slightly, a pink tongue flickering in and out to gather the liquid from within. Mistle then dipped her head to the brown medicine cat, once again wordlessly telling him to back out as she followed.

Both landed at the base, mute until Mistle decided to speak again. "So now you understand why someone of your occupation is important. You know about medicine, or so I assume from what you said earlier. I've self nominated myself as protector of these cats. They're my responsibility and I'm trying my best to keep them alive. Mew, Gray, and Night are the three kittens I've adopted, considering myself as their aunt. They were abandoned by their dead mother who's timely demise came shortly after their birth. Nikki up there suffers from her old age as well as a respiratory disease. She can barely can stand up much less breathe properly without collapsing. So you see how big of a role you play in our society. You and only you can help us. Please." She looked at him with pleading blue eyes, shaded with sadness and years of fatigue. How long had she been watching over these defenseless cats?

Anemonepaw gulped. "I suppose I have no choice," he said in reluctance, still thinking of the others he had left behind. _Flarepaw's going to be pissed, Mistpaw in denial, Floodpaw distraught, Wildpaw confused, Fallenpaw concerned...But it's not as if they can't journey without me. It's also not as if they know where I am. I could be an entire days trip away from where I left them, I don't even know how long I was out..._

"Wonderful," Mistle smiled genuinely. "I never got your name, did I?"

"Oh, it's Anemonepaw," the tom responded, somewhat vacantly. "I suppose we should get started then," he added, earning a nod of conformation from Mistle. "We'll need something for the kits. They're hungry and without food they are sure to die."

"I've been trying," the tabby mewed. "I wasn't producing enough milk for them. It saddens me that they're only getting about a meal a day. I didn't kit them, I don't have enough milk!"

"Calm down," Anemonepaw barked. "The last thing we need is a panic attack. I've seen this plenty of times. You'll just need some borage leaves."

"Borage leaves? What are those?"

"They'll help you produce enough milk. I don't suppose there's a little forest around here somewhere, is there?" Anemonepaw glanced around curiously, attempting to sight a tree or two. To his surprise, Mistle nodded, "At the edge of the city. There's a large expanse of trees there. If you want forest plants, then there's your best bet."

"Thank you. I'd go there myself but I'm afraid I don't know the way," the young med cat admitted modestly. "Would you mind leading me there?"

"Fine," Mistle agreed. "But you have to stay in my line of sight at all times. A forest is just about where I'd expect you to give me the slip." Anemonepaw blinked. To be honest, the thought never passed his mind. First of all, where would he go? It wasn't as if he knew his way around this place. It wouldn't be long before Mistle found him even if he did manage to escape. Besides, this was the cat who managed to knock him out single pawed anyways. What was she so paranoid about?

Flicking her tail, Mistle charged for the entrance to the alleyway, leaving Anemonepaw to follow as best he could. They only made it a few bounds before the tabby turned a corner, making sure the 'paw was still behind her as she cast a glance over her shoulder. Satisfied that her companion hadn't taken the chance to bolt, she continued her path through the empty streets, winding her way through the "city". Several times she cast a blue gaze over each shoulder, confirming the whereabouts of her medicinal expert.

"I'm not going to bail!" the brown tom finally cried ahead, fed up with all this checking as if he was a prisoner being watched constantly. "Just lead me to the woods! I'll be right behind you!"

"Forest cat tricks!" Mistle called back with a scowl, purposely looking back. "You can't and won't fool me! Get up here by my side!" As she slowed, it allowed Anemonepaw to get closer until he was racing along at her side much to the tabby's satisfaction. The duo turned another few sharp corners until their path became blocked by a chain link fence. Rather than stopping, Mistle accelerated, pouncing from a box to a dumpster until she made the final, graceful leap over the side.

Anemonepaw tried to copy her technique, mistiming his leap from the box to the dumpster and landing rather ungracefully on its cold metal surface. Straightening himself out, he regained a little bit of speed and barely managed to scale the fence, his hind leg bumping on his way over. Flailing awkwardly in the air, it was a relief to land on an extremely soft patch of grass.

"So graceful," Mistle teased as the tom got shakily to his paws and tried to compose himself. "Hurry up," she ordered, flicking her tail across his muzzle as she passed, taking the lead towards the line of shadowed trees. Taking in the light around him, Anemonepaw watched as the golden orb began its slow descent behind the mountains, bathing the skies in warm shades of orange, yellow and the occasional blossom of red or pink. He took in a large breath of clean air, sighing with contentment as his lungs were freed from the tight and rancid tastes of what lay behind him. The scent of pine lingered on the faint breeze that tickled his nose, earning a sneeze in reply. Shaking out his fur, Anemonepaw trailed after the leader with soft pawsteps, relishing in the comfort simple grass could offer.

As they passed through the first wave of trees- a mixture of pine and birch- the pair of felines set to work on searching for their target. Anemonepaw hadn't said what it looked like, but he said he'd know it when he saw it. Sniffing diligently, it never occured to him that they were being watched. He barely had time to approach a clump of borage leaves alongside Mistle when a shattering hiss pulled them apart.

Frantically looking around, Anemonepaw caught sight of two shapes emerging from the shadows cast by the branches, a pallet of sunset and darkness dappling their pelts.

"Well look at this," an overly familiar voice said, belonging to a white and orange feline, stepping closer into view with a fluffy cream tom just a few paces behind. "It looks like we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us?"

"Big rabbit-brained heroes, sir," the other replied with a chuckle, tailed by a pale gray who was followed by a darker gray-black.

"Ain't we just? " the orange and white grinned, his own voice highly amused, standing in the light a fox length away from Anemonepaw. At his side stood the fuzzy cream furred one and on the other side was the pale gray, the darker one at the far end standing erect at the paler she-cat's side. "Looks like you've got something that belongs to us. If it isn't too much trouble, we'd like him back."

_Fallenpaw..._ Anemonepaw stood agape, speechless as the leader of their rag-tag team, accompanied by the rest of the group, stood before him. Including Wildpaw, Mistpaw, and Floodpaw. Flarepaw wasn't there however. _Oh great StarClan! _he huffed inwardly. _If they left her back at the hollow, who was watching her? No one! That's who!_

"And who might you be?" Mistle growled, showing no intentions of giving up her prize. "He's one of us now and I won't have any negotiations. He stays with me in the city."

"Ah ha, about that," Fallenpaw chuckled knowingly, swishing his tail with a sense that he had the upper paw. "Look above you."

Immediately, both Mistle and Anemonepaw looked up, shocked at what they saw. Hovering mere fox lengths above them was the reddish form of a crouching and rather infuriated Flarepaw. Her amber orbs had narrowed into slits and it was clear she wasn't in a cheerful mood. But then again, when was she ever?

"See her up there?" Fallenpaw asked rhetorically, knowing they could see her before he had even asked. "She's been a bit of a pain in our tails today. See, this place is a bit out of our way from where we need to go and she didn't exactly want to come. Much to her irritation, she hasn't gotten to eat on account of searching all day for our friend here. And let me tell you, a hungry Flarepaw, is not a happy Flarepaw. She's been itching for a fight and it would give her more than enough pleasure to draw some blood. There is a way out however, just give us back our companion there, and we'll be on our way."

"You don't understand how much I need his help!" Mistle protested.

Fallenpaw shrugged. "It's not up to me. It's up to her." He pointed with his tail back up at Flarepaw who had scarily dropped down to a much lower branch, her optics glowing with fury in the fast approaching darkness. "But I suggest if you don't want bloodshed, you release him."

"Never," Mistle protested, standing protectively in front of Anemonepaw, determined to keep him and his herbal skills.

"I'll only say this once more: release him."

Heavy stares bounced back from one another. Fallenpaw's directed at Mistle, Mistle's directed back at Fallenpaw. Flarepaw glaring at Mistle. And Anemonepaw glancing up at Flarepaw. The air around them had gone silent save for the growl forming in the back of Flarepaw's throat. She was getting antsy and there was only so much sitting she could take. Her unsheathed claws ran along the bark, itching to tear into fur. Preferably Mistle's.

"Fine," the gray tabby backed down, spitting with her own fury. She took a few steps back, allowing Anemonepaw to rush forward behind the ranks of his fellow apprentices. "I never want to see your ugly mug around here again, Anemonepaw." She hissed bitterly. "You're such a traitor. Not even standing up for the weak and injured. You're sick and vile. I could just vomit here. I hope you're happy knowing that Nikki is sure to die as well as those kits."

"I'm sorry," Anemonepaw poked his head out into view, green eyes somber. "But I do have priorities. I have to get back home. I showed you the borage, the kits are sure to eat properly now. But I truly am sorr- "

"Save it you lying filth!" Mistle interrupted in her fit of rage. "Just get out of here!"

"You heard her," Wildpaw nosed Anemonepaw towards the OceanClan siblings. "Mistpaw, Floodpaw, take him. We'll catch up." The siblings deftly nodded, leading away their Clan's medicine cat back into the shadows. Wildpaw gave a nudge to Fallenpaw before chasing after the OceanClanners.

As Wildpaw faded into the shadows, Fallenpaw started to turn. "Come on, Flarepaw. Our work here is done." With a hiss of disappointment, the reddish she-cat slunk down the branch towards the trunk, sliding from branch to branch as she followed the BlizzardClanner from above.

Mistle's agonized grumbles could be heard for another few moments. "If you want something done, you'll have to do it yourself." With that said, her thundering pawsteps faded, presumably in the direction she came from.

Anemonepaw walked in between Floodpaw and Mistpaw with Wildpaw in the front. Behind him, he heard joining steps as Fallenpaw took the rear, joined by Flarepaw's silent approach. Surrounded by his- dare he call them- friends, Anemonepaw felt a sudden wave of relief. They were there for him in his time of crisis. They were all there for his support. They could've went off alone without him, but no, they stayed and took an entire day to find him.

_I'll never doubt them again,_ he thought with a smile. _I'm safe..._

* * *

_Daww! Saved by his best buddies! I'm sorry for the prolonged delay, but then again, that seems to be a re occurring factor considering my update issue with _A River Divided_. Ah well, I made sure to make this one extra long for you guys. I actually debated whether or not to make this one a two-parter and end it on a cliffhanger, but I decided na. Besides, I've been giving out too many cliffhangers lately and this chapter wouldn't flow right with a split.  
_

_Also, I don't know if any of you caught it, but near the end where Fallenpaw and the others arrive is a reference to a TV show called _Firefly. _It's one of my favorite episodes, _Safe,_ in which Simon the doctor (replaced by Anemonepaw the medicine cat XD) and his sister are kidnapped by a group of people who need his medical skills. At the end is my favorite scene where Mal comes to rescue them. Flarepaw is portrayed as Jayne, essentially trigger happy and itching for a fight. This just became a warrior cat tweaked version of that episode._

_Remember to review, follow, favorite and such! Hope you enjoyed! Until next time,_

_\- Snarky_


	9. Games Friends Play

_Warning: Near the beginning is a reference to what one might call a 'wet dream'. Nothing too explicit but viewer discretion is advised. Don't like, don't read. This is more of a filler chapter and doesn't have immediate life threatening plot. You have been warned._

* * *

Nestled back in the confinements of their makeshift camp, the hollow was once again home to the six adventuring apprentices. Since Anemonepaw's rescue mission, the small group had decided to return to base- one of the few places they knew would be safe for another day until they trekked out in the morning. Due to a light drizzle that had occurred during the night, all felines present hunkered down in the root dugout until morning's light to prevent wet pelts and foul moods. Pressed up against one another much to one's disdain- guess which one- they were able to retain warmth and comfort through the dark night.

They had all huddled somewhat awkwardly inside their hollow, with Mistpaw and Floodpaw somehow managing to get the warmest by clumping in the middle surrounded by the remaining cats. Flarepaw tried to avoid any contact and had originally refused to sleep next to anyone. But once sleep settled in on the cramped cavern, Flarepaw's cold body sought heat and eventually snuggled up to Fallenpaw. Not that he minded of course. And currently, that same hot-headed MagmaClanner twitched and writhed in her dreams.

_Mist clouded around her charcoal black appendages, coiling in wisps above the muted green flooring. Large and vacant at first glance, it appeared to be a foggy field with a faint slope to it, a clustering of gray-white tufts drifting at a slightly higher elevation. Nostrils flared as she took in the damp and open scents of the scenery around her. It was serene and peaceful. A quiet break from the chaos that belonged to the real world._

_A low growl resonated into the ghostly tendrils that surrounded her in a vulnerable state, unable to clearly identify who had invaded her thoughts. As a pair of green orbs glowed through the mist, Flarepaw was ready to snap in retaliation, refusing to give up her moment of relaxation for a moment of listening to pick-up lines courtesy of everyone's favorite player._

_However, once the figure made itself known, it was clear it wasn't Wildpaw. The silhouette was too slender and long legged to belong to the fuzzy furred tom. With a near hidden white base and bold orange patches, it wasn't difficult to find the connection. _

_"Fallenpaw," she purred, met with a calm nod as the mentioned sauntered closer into view, the wisps parting as he bounced through.  
_

_"Flarepaw," he returned the greeting, uncharacteristically nuzzling her cheek as he circled around her petite frame. With a purr in her throat, the reddish apprentice nipped his feathery tail. In response, he flicked her muzzle playfully. Circling back around, Fallenpaw nibbled the other's ear, earning an amused giggle and a shy recoil. Flarepaw retaliated with a ram to his shoulder, knocking him back a step._

_"Ooh, feisty," an unusual glint flashed within his leafy green optics, somewhat predatory as he stared back at the reddish 'paw. Smirking, Flarepaw swished her tail, a small wag in her hips. "You asked for it," the orange and white tom growled, lunging. The attack caught her by surprise, suddenly unable to register anything going on around her. She felt her back thud against the ground and when her eyes opened, amber met green in a haze of lust._

_"Fallenpaw..." she whispered, barely able to speak much more, lost in the sea of green._

_"Yes?" the tom smirked, tapping his nose to her's._

_"...Take me..." Flarepaw murmured through half-lidded eyes which in turn got a chuckle._

_"You're such a dirty girl," Fallenpaw sneered, slowly running his tongue along the crown of her head. "But for you, I'm_ _willing __to accept..."_

Words blurred, actions fuzzy, the world around them a total misty blanket.

Suddenly aware of reality with a sharp jolt, startled amber optics opened, quickly taking in the surroundings. Breathing short and almost a wheeze, Flarepaw's chest tightened, attempting to make sense of the previous events. As her fantasized thoughts came dashing back to her mind, her sense of fear took over, prompting her to move away as quickly as possible. She shrunk away from Fallenpaw, mind still loosely muddled.

"Did I...?" she muttered to herself, fear lacing her hushed tone. "Did I really have a..." She shuddered before her vocal chords had a chance to finish. Her tail subconsciously found itself tucked under her legs, where it was met with unpleasant moisture. Disgusted with herself, she cringed with forming tears in her eyes. While stifling a wail of despair, the reddish feline slipped from the hollow as fast as her little burnt black paws could move.

Gray clouds loomed overhead, but based on the time that the group had arrived at the hollow, adding the hours passed for sleep- Flarepaw could safely say it was sometime past midday. Dull streams of light flickered in through holes in the stormy colored clouds, a small dapple of hope pattering against the torn and frayed foliage. The wet earth pressed in between her pads, the ground itself slick beneath her feet. Too warped in her own thoughts, the shuddering feline failed to notice where her paws were leading her. Within another few bounds of her warp speed pursuit away from the hollow, the muck slid against her pink pads where she slipped to the side into a hidden ditch.

"Gak!" the awkward cry escaped her parted jaws, tumbling face first into the dip of wet leaves. As the rest of her body flopped amongst the brown slime and sodden foliage, only weakened murmurs slithered into the moist air.

Upset wasn't even close to the feelings she was now experiencing.

Disgusted was a closer word choice.

Yes, disgusted with her thoughts and desires. It made her stomach churn in a most unpleasant way. Unlike nervous butterflies, it felt as if slimy worms were writhing and coiling in the food pit.

Betrayed was another unique emotion. Yes, her body had betrayed her to mere lustful wants. Great StarClan, she was turning into Wildpaw!

"No...I can't be turning into that flea pelt...I could never sink that low..." her murmurs went unheard to anyone other than herself. "I...I have..." she cried with reluctance, accepting her status. "I've sunk to his bottom feeder level...I'm nothing more than an unworthy pile of crowfood that deserves to be torn apart by foxes...Oh Blackshadow, if only you were here with me. Then I wouldn't be alone."

* * *

Flarepaw wasn't sure how long she had been laying alone in her little pit, or how long she had been rambling to a stick as if it understood her problems. She imagined it had been a good few hours, but there was no real way to check without moving and she wasn't really up to moving anyways.

Well, not until she heard an all too familiar timbre break through her incoherent mutterings to the inanimate twig.

"Flarepaw? What in StarClan's name are you doing holed up in a ditch?"

"Go crawl back to the others, Wildpaw," Flarepaw grumbled, though secretly relieved it hadn't been Fallenpaw. She didn't think she had the best sanity to face him. "Just forget about me. Forget about my role in this journey. Forget I even existed. Forget the fact that I once belonged to MagmaClan. Forget about my sorrows, my achievements, my faults, my mind, my soul, and forget about my body. I mean nothing to anyone anymore."

She heard the sound of pattering pawsteps and quickly assumed the tom had left without an argument.

_That was easy,_ she thought triumphantly.

A heavy thud landed beside Flarepaw, shaking the ground beside her. Wincing, she didn't even have to look up. She knew who it was.

"Listen here you stubborn she-cat," Wildpaw growled out, his voice escalating to the tone he used back in the alleyways when he figured out he wasn't Alpha. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but it isn't funny. If you're trying to make me forget about the things you've done, it's not going to work. And I'm certainly not going to forget you even existed."

"Why won't you? My life means nothing anymore. Move on with your life. Tell the others I won't be journeying with them anymore. I've become useless. I'm a disgrace."

Wildpaw groaned in exasperation. "You're such a kit! Do you really think the world revolves around you? I don't know why you weren't named Bratkit or Whinekit, cause that's what you are right now. A brat and a whiner. Need proof? Just look at yourself. Tell me you aren't whining."

Flarepaw's muddy pelt bristled, her head actually having the energy to lift and direct a glare at the fuzzy tom looming in front of her. "I'm not whining. Nor am I a brat. I'm simply stating the facts. If anything, I'm becoming angry."

"Oh like that isn't anything new," Wildpaw scoffed, turning for the side of the dip in the earth. "Again, you're making this all about you, you selfish kitten. Now come on, everyone's waiting back in the hollow. I won't argue anymore, you thick headed stick in the mud."

"I'm not going back." To prove her point, Flarepaw's dirtied crown slumped back into the nest of tarnished leaves with no intent to move.

"You really are a kit, you know that?" Wildpaw sighed, faintly annoyed. "And if you're going to act like one, might as well be treated like one." Without warning, his teeth found a tight grip around her scruff. He grunted, pulling her stained pelt up onto his back. "Geeze Flarekit, for someone so small, how do you weigh so much?"

A growl rumbled in the back of the she-cat's throat, but she opted not to speak, somehow managing to show self restraint.

_I must be going soft on the mouse-heart, _she inwardly berated herself. She remained silent for the moment as Wildpaw pulled them both out of the slick walled dugout and up onto flat ground. She waited for him to stop and allow her to get down but it never happened. He continued to walk.

"I can walk, you know," she muttered, irritated.

"I do know," Wildpaw responded cockily, continuing to pad ahead.

Flarepaw was about to retort but a question came to mind. "Hey, why'd you come out here anyways? I mean, obviously to look for me, but why you specifically? You don't have some hidden agenda in mind?"

"Oh come now, Flarekit. I'm not that devious. I'm simply returning you to the hollow safely by order of Fallenpaw. Besides, I know you have eyes for someone else. Who am I to get in the way?"

As his words registered in her mind, Flarepaw felt her ear tips grow warm, a flush creeping up onto her cheeks. "Is it really that obvious?" her typically loud speaking voice had dropped a few decibels, now residing as a timid murmur.

"Nope, but your response confirms it." Flarepaw could only imagine the sly grin on the tom's muzzle, making her want to claw it off in a matter of seconds. Her face formerly flushed with embarrassment had now been replaced with a flush of anger.

"You dirty trickster!" she hissed, purely aggravated as her claws began to poke against Wildpaw's back.

"That's us BlizzardClanners," the scruffy tomcat replied easily, unfazed as he emerged through a set of ferns where thunder rumbled, followed by a bout of raindrops spattering against their fur. He paused. "Look like it's raining again."

"Well don't just stand here, you daft cave mouse! Get us back to the hollow! In case you hadn't noticed, MagmaClan cat plus the rain doesn't equal sunshine and rainbows." Flarepaw snapped, already feeling the effects of the rainfall.

"Right, right." The tom said nothing further, moving his paws quicker against the moist dirt through another bundle of overlapping foliage. Flarepaw said nothing as leaves swatted along her pelt, simply accepting it until she was dry and warm back in the hollow. The falling drops increased and she couldn't help but wonder how much longer their trip was going to take. She hadn't run this far away from their makeshift camp, had she?

"Fallenpaw! Anemonepaw! I found our missing kit!" Wildpaw suddenly called out over a roar of thunder. Lifting her head up, her amber orbs were able to distinguish the tall oak and its twisted roots. From within them emerged frantic shapes of white and orange, and brown. Flarepaw slid off Wildpaw's back, instantly met with the very leaf green gaze she feared. Unable to get a hold over her emotions, she visibly flinched, shying back out of terror.

"What's wrong, Flarepaw? Are you OK?"

"Step back Fallenpaw." Thankfully, Anemonepaw butted the orange and white shape aside. "She's been out in the cold for hours and I'm sure she doesn't need a muzzle in her face. Come on, let's get her inside where it's warmer. Fallenpaw, warn Floodpaw and Mistpaw."

Without arguing, the self proclaimed leader of the six darted back inside the dark hole, leaving Flarepaw with the two toms. With one on either side, she was wordlessly led towards the cavern Fallenpaw disappeared into. As she passed the root barrier, her paws suddenly decided to tell how tired she was. Once sheltered in the warmer shade, her legs went limp and she collapsed, darkness clouding her vision.

* * *

An amused laugh.

"Your turn!"

"Hmm, how about Wonderful Wildpaw? I think it fits, don't you?"

A giggle. "More like Wacky Wildpaw!"

"And I'll be Fabulous Floodpaw!"

"Then I guess that leaves Fantastic Fallenpaw for me."

"Mighty Mistpaw?"

"The mightiest of us all! What about Anemonepaw?"

"Awe-inspiring Anemonepaw." A confirming meow broke the thoughtful silence.

Eyelids cracking open, Flarepaw could identify the five shapes of her companions as they spoke what appeared to be nonsense. Shifting slightly, she felt the soft moss wrapped around her, giving her a content sense of security. Something twitched on her back and a jolt of panic shot through her veins. Turning her head ever so slightly, she managed to catch sight of a feathery tail cast loosely over her spine. With one guess, Flarepaw figured out who it belonged to. Surprisingly, it didn't freak her out. It only added to her safe feeling.

"Fearless Flarepaw," she murmured aloud with a smile as she closed her eyes.

"Flarepaw! You're awake!" Mistpaw's squeak was easily identified.

"Back to the living world I see," Anemonepaw spoke neutrally, though his voice held the tone of what sounded like a somewhat amused smile.

"Fearless?" Wildpaw caught on to her entrance to their game. "More like Fat Flarepaw."

"What was that, worm gut?"

"Hey it's the truth and I should know. StarClan only knows how you weigh a hundred pounds."

"Do you have a death wish?"

"Wildpaw please, my patient needs her rest."

"Wildpaw, stop antagonizing Flarepaw. Flarepaw, just- Flarepaw! Put that stick down! You look like you're going to club someone!"

"Oh Flarepaw, please listen to Anemonepaw and Fallenpaw. You're going to hurt yourself."

"Yeah by failing to hit me and tumble to the floor. Then she'll have to stay there because she's too fat to stand up."

"Ooooo! Major _burn!_"

"You're digging an early grave, dungface!"

"Flarepaw, get back here! Stop chasing my clanmate!"

"But he called me _fat!_"

* * *

_And as much as I'd love to continue, I think Flarepaw deserves some justice after what she's going through. Poor adolescent hormones XD Nice to see her back to her old self though, don't you think? And for Kira who wanted them to catch a break, I suppose this is as close as it's going to get XD __Most anime I've seen typically involve a trip to the beach to unwind and relax, but I think they've seen enough water, sand, and heat.  
_

_Questions? Concerns? Ideas? Rants? I'd suggest referring to the review box. Much appreciated. :) Out of curiosity, what do you think about everyone? Favorite? Least favorite? Until next time my lovely readers, (and hopefully reviewers),_

_\- Snarky_


	10. In the Drink, Pause to Think

"Everyone, Floodpaw and I have a proposition to make."

Heads lifted from their placement on paws, curious eyes aimed at the eagerly smiling OceanClan siblings standing tall and proud in front of the other four. It had been another few sunrises since Flarepaw's incident and the group of 'paws still hadn't found the motivation to leave their comfortable hollow. For the first time in days, this place was starting to feel somewhat like home.

Wildpaw lay on his side, a lazy eyelid cracked open to register the two standing almost obnoxiously close. Fallenpaw sat a few tail lengths away tending to his pelt. Anemonepaw ceased his mutterings about herbal remedies while Flarepaw slumped with her back to the group. It appeared as if she wasn't listening, but the position of her ears said otherwise.

"What is it?" Fallenpaw looked up, genuinely interested even if his hollow-mates weren't.

"Well," Floodpaw began, almost ready to burst. He barely managed to keep his voice to a low enough register where it wasn't squeaking. "Mistpaw and I have been talking and it seems like everyone has been going through rough patches." The gray tom felt his moxie drop as Flarepaw snorted loudly, apparently against whatever the young OceanClanner was about to say. Mistpaw stepped in.

"We decided that since everyone's a little tense, we should all unwind and relax."

Anemonepaw's ears twitched, craning his head closer. "And how do you propose we relax?"

The siblings shared a childish giggle.

* * *

"Keep going, just a bit further. No peeking!"

"How are we supposed to peek when StarClan forsaken moss is plastered over our faces?!" an angry shout brought up the rear of the huddled traveling party.

"Don't complain, Flarepaw," Fallenpaw urged as he walked beside the MagmaClanner, green eyes cloaked by the scraggly foliage like the others. "Just trust them."

"Yeah, _trust,_" she scoffed, a dry chuckle in her throat. "How do we know these flea-bitten weasels aren't leading us to a hungry fox? I say they've gotten fed up with us and are sacrificing us to the mighty clan of foxes."

"One; that's crazy. Two; clan of foxes? Third; how can you say such harsh things to our friends?" A surprised gasp came from not Fallenpaw- but Wildpaw.

The reddish feline laughed, "Easy. Just like you're a- oomph!" Her sneer was cut short, bumping into the hindquarters of the medicine disciple. "Hey, why'd you stop?" she asked in a huff, disgruntled that her taunting wasn't completed.

"We're here," Floodpaw announced cheerfully from the head of the pack, his tail swishing against ferns repeatedly. "You may now remove the moss and step forward."

Now allowed to remove their bindings, four clumps of moss hit the grassy earth, optics blinking away the remaining debris. Mistpaw and Floodpaw settled themselves at either side of a clump of heavy brush. Each sent a mischievous wink before slipping through the foliage, expecting the others to follow. Seeing no alternative, the smaller group shrugged and pressed on, shoving past the leaves that tickled their pelts.

"Welcome to your getaway relaxation!" Mistpaw squeaked, hopping on her paws with barely contained energy. The quartet couldn't comprehend the sight before them. Before their very eyes, a large glittering pool sat untouched, shaded by an overhanging willow tree. Moss clumps gathered around the outskirts, providing a soft border around the crystalline liquid.

Floodpaw piped up, "Well? What are you all standing slack-jawed for? Come on!" With that said, the tomcat bolted for the pool, his sibling on his heels within seconds. Shrieking and laughing, both flew with grand leaps, refreshed as a cool wave engulfed their dry and waterless fur coats. It seemed like forever ago that they had last seen the comforts of home. The closest memory they had was that heavy rainfall. But the overhanging trunk and branches seemed to complete the nostalgic feel- eerily reminding them of the safe guarded Star Willow that resided deeper within OceanClan territory. This was hardly the same thing, but none the less, it felt much more like home than the past few days.

When their giggles died down, twin eyes settled back on the rest of their rag tag team and the fact they hadn't made any motion to jump in- instead deciding to hover near the edge. Flarepaw especially was cowering in the rear, looking at said pool with unbound hatred. Floodpaw couldn't hold back a slow blink of uncertainty. "Guys? Come on in, the water's fine. Don't you want to relax?" He at least expected Anemonepaw to join them, but so far the brown 'paw hadn't made any interest.

"It's not that we don't appreciate your offer, but it would be best to keep going," Fallenpaw urged in the politest way he could. "We've wasted plenty of days here already and I think we just need to get on with our travels. Besides, you two are really the only water lovers. Anemonepaw just tolerates it. Wildpaw and I aren't comfortable with it and Flarepaw..." he drawled on with a sigh, glancing back at the bristling she-cat. "Flarepaw just loathes it. Simple as that."

"But- " Floodpaw's lips quivered, eyes sorrowful. Mistpaw was probably mirroring his expression the way siblings did.

"Finally, gaining some ground on this quest," the reddish apprentice grumbled, tail swishing.

"You need some fun in your life!" Mistpaw whined, paddling to the edge where her paws found a better grip and felt wet fur press beside her as a show of comfort.

It was then a sly smirk spread its way onto a certain cream tom's muzzle. "Yeah," he purred loudly, voice silky and smooth in a similar manner that he would use to woo she-cats. "Ease some of that tension out of yourselves. Have a little _fun!" _With a loud pronunciation, his hindquarters swung into the short tempered apprentice, sending her sprawling, tripping over her own paws and with a large splash- she had crashed into the drink.

As her red fur disappeared from view under the water's surface, the air went dead silent. No one breathed for those single seconds, too stunned to create and form of noise. Once those voidless moments passed, crimson flashed from sapphire as the petite 'paw broke through to the surface, an enraged howl on her lips.

Color drained from the faces of the remaining cats on the shoreline, Wildpaw having enough common sense to try and hide behind Anemonepaw and Fallenpaw. Within seconds, grunting, wheezing and heavy bellows grew in volume, easily heard over the flailing splashes. Her soaked black forepaws shot from the dreaded liquid, gripping the earth with the ferocity matching the image of a cursed creature rising from the grave. The very action sent chills down spines, ears flattening slowly against craniums, and the moon-like shape each widened optic was mimicking. Flarepaw's sleekened body slid with great effort onto the surface, imitating a drenched kitten. By now, her claws had been unsheathed, evident bloodlust gleaming in her furiously narrowed amber pools.

Fearing their lives, the Fallenpaw and Anemonepaw duo stepped to either side, revealing a shivering Wildpaw- green orbs watery and shot with horror. He knew she'd be pissed- but not this much...

"Now listen," he tried to calm her down with a shuddering breath, taking backward steps for every one of her advances. "Let's not be rash. I'll admit, that was rabbit-brained. But let's not do anything you might regret in the near future, hmm?" It was only a matter of time before he broke down and started groveling. He didn't know what was holding her back from springing and tearing out his throat. It wasn't like Fallenpaw or any of the others could stop her when she was like this. It was also surprising at how little she spoke. She only prowled forward- making no sound. There were no words, no growls, no hisses, no vocalizations whatsoever. Her silence was quickly setting him on edge.

Flarepaw halted, having her prey trapped between the barrier of plants and her claws. Her lips curled up in a sneer, baring unusually sharp fangs. Wildpaw hated to think the damage they could do to him.

"Now, Flarepaw," Anemonepaw interjected. "You can't possibly kill him. I don't have the herbs to treat life threatening wounds nor would we allow you to travel with us."

"Anemonepaw's right," Floodpaw agreed, seated on the water's edge with Mistpaw. "We can't have a murderer coming along with us."

Flarepaw retorted with a snort that suspiciously sounded like a bark of laughter. "Like I'd kill him. First of all, if I _were_ to kill off this pathetic waste of fur, I wouldn't do it in front of you all. Second, I'd make the final blow as long and drawn out as possible. And third, it wouldn't be a crowd gatherer."

Wildpaw coughed under his breath, "_Sadist._"

The red she-cat fixed him a glare, but continued her monologue. "No. This little frog is going suffer exactly what I did." Without warning, swift as a viper, her jaws connected with his scuff, instantly creating tension. Gasps of horror resonated through the crowd. Their horror blown eyes remained wide as Flarepaw cursed her smallness, heaving the bigger body back towards the pond.

Grunting loudly, a final huff brought the cream tom splashing into the water. Coughing and sputtering, he surfaced, flabbergasted features meeting the smug grin of the tiny apprentice accompanied with a rather satisfactory wink. "_Now_ we're even."

Turning away to shake out her waterlogged pelt, her actions were answered with full blown snickers. Floodpaw was on his side, probably crying as Mistpaw tried and failed to calm him back down. Discouraged, but nonetheless amused, Anemonepaw was smirking in content while the ginger and white tom beside him was definitely howling with laughter.

"I don't think I deserved that," Wildpaw huffed indignantly, yanking his own soggy pelt from the depths of the water source.

"Oh no, you definitely did," the medicine cat replied bluntly, whiskers twitching. "In fact, I don't think it was punishment enough." Sniggering, the sleek brown tom lurched with outstretched paws, knocking the scruffy BlizzardClanner back into the substance he only just escaped.

Fallenpaw was right behind him in a flash, defending his clanmate as he rammed the medicine apprentice into the shifting waves. "Punishment enough for you?" he called childishly, only to find himself sent forward courtesy of a sibling duo.

"Lay off!" they chimed, giggling profusely as their momentum carried them down.

"For MagmaClan!" the last of the six willingly plunged in, tackling the nearest feline- which so happened to be Floodpaw.

"Ahh!" he fake screeched, "I'm being attacked!" A splash of water came to Flarepaw's eyes- no doubt an OceanClan move.

"I'll save you, brother dearest!" the light gray she-cat of the pair yowled. "For the glory of OceanClan!"

"Not if BlizzardClan has anything to say about it!" Wildpaw surged, sending a wave at the mock battle.

"You cuttlefish! It's time for revenge!"

"Catch me if you can!"

"Got you!"

"No one gives a flying flipper, Fallenpaw! Get those worm infested claws off my back!"

Splash.

Laugh.

Howl.

Giggle.

Roar.

Repeat.

* * *

"Thanks Floodpaw, Mistpaw." Anemonepaw acknowledged his clanmates with a friendly dip of his head, all six huddled in a patch of the dying sunlight, hoping to dry out their soaking pelts.

"Yes," the orange and white, self-proclaimed leader, agreed. "Without you, I'm sure none of us would have experienced fun on this journey. You've certainly earned yourselves a place among us. Honorary BlizzardClanners."

"Aww jee, thanks," Mistpaw flushed, trying to be modest as she ducked behind her chuckling brother.

"Hey guys, is it just me or do that mountain range look familiar?" Wildpaw spoke up, drawing the attention from everyone else.

"Hmm, I'll say it looks rather nostalgic," the sage-eyed medicine 'paw gave his consent, nodding his head.

"Are you really all daft cave mice?" Flarepaw playfully thwacked their heads, turning her slender crown in the direction of the slopes- dark silhouettes against the reddening sky as the sun quickened its decent. "Those are the MagmaClan mountains. In other words.._._home."

_Home._

* * *

_And there we have it. Leaving off on a rather cheery note. Good thing too, from here on out, we're in for a bumpy ride. Hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen- the plot awaits..._

_\- Snarky_


	11. Then There Were Five

Red-orange light cast slithering shadows over the looming mountain range. Tendrils of darkness cascaded over six pelts as the tight clump weaving through the densely packed trees. Buds of silence bloomed, only shattered as a stray paw cracked an unnoticed twig. Harsh panting furthered the lack of a noiseless environment, aided by preachings of sore body parts and hunger pains. It had been yesterday since they had last eaten, the lack of prey around this area unnerving. If this prevention of food continued, tempers would flare and the remaining journey wouldn't be a pleasant one.

"Hurry it up, would ya?" a sharp, agitated bark cut against the speech void. The voice, of course, was referring to the figure dragging their paws at least a fox length behind the one ahead of them.

Fallenpaw trudged on in the front, determined to keep the group on the right path as he led them through the forest trail. Mistpaw lay comfortable upon his back, the strain of the day too much for her frail body. Overexerted, the orange and white tom offered his back as a place of rest. Currently, the gray she-cat was sleeping peacefully, carefully watched by her brother as he strode alongside. Wildpaw sauntered a few paces behind, thick furred crown tossed over his shoulder, forest green eyes glaring tiredly at what lay beyond the sleek pelt of their medicine cat.

He felt a pang of worry when the mentioned cat's head didn't falter immediately. Instead, it swung low with a depressive aura. Their paws continued to scrape lazily against the earth, gathering tiny sticks and bits of dry soil in their pads. Flicking his ears back, he caught the hints of a soft murmur, but it was incoherent.

"Either say it louder or stop dragging your paws and get up here, Flarepaw!" the cream tom growled in exasperation, relieved when her head snapped up, distressed irritation flashing in her amber pools.

"I said, I'm tired and hungry! You can't expect me to keep pace with you all the time. Some of us have shorter legs!" To emphasize her point, she halted completely to sit back on her haunches, waving her suspended forepaws wildly. The other chuckled half-heartedly, amused to find the reddish female still her hot tempered self.

"Wildpaw, don't antagonize Flarepaw," the orange and white tomcat sighed from the front. "Flarepaw, be patient. We're all hungry and tired. We've been walking for over a day and none of us have eaten since we set out. We should try and cover more ground though, just until night falls. I doubt any of us want to stay away from our Clans much longer. I know I miss eating hare."

"What I wouldn't give for a nice fat eel," Floodpaw's mouth salivated at the thought. It had been who knows how long since he or Mistpaw had eaten something from the seas they hailed from. It made his heart ache at the thought of being away from home so long. _Seafoam and Quivertail must be so worried, _he mused internally, starting to drag his feet.

"Ick," Flarepaw's lips curled back into a sneer of disgust, her coal stained legs moving at a quicker pace to, reluctantly, catch up with the rest of the group. "Eel, fish, hare- all revolting. Nothing tastes quite like a cave mouse- body temperature naturally warmed to accommodate the heat of the caves themselves."

A loud growl rumbled behind them. All halted mid stride, eyes wide as moons as they glanced over their shoulders to stare confusedly at the source.

"A-Anemonepaw?"

The brown tom had his head bowed, teeth gritted and body physique tense. "Can we just stop talking about food?" he bit out, timbre sharp and leaving no room for argument. The conversation was clearly affecting his mental state.

"You mean like us all wanting to sink our fangs into a plump, juicy fish?" Floodpaw took it another step further, eliciting another pained growl from the brown tom's empty stomach.

"You mean little meddie cat gets hungry just like the rest of us?" Flarepaw couldn't hold back the smirk of satisfaction.

"Well duh!" sage eyes flashed with aggravation. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning either. As I said before, I'd appreciate it if you stopped talking about eating while we're all starving. It won't help us mentally or physically."

The conversation hung in the air, vocalizations slowly losing tone to the overlapping wave of silence. Speeches came to a halt as their paws continued moving against the brittle ground. Walking patterns were nothing alike; quick and short or long and purposefully slow. Fatigue clung to their eyes, hazy optics drifting downward to the earth. It would only be a matter of minutes before the exhaustion pushed them to the point of collapsing then and there.

"How much further?" slurred the stumbling MagmaClan apprentice.

"Not much," the orange and white BlizzardClanner yawned in response. By now he had let Wildpaw lead, the strain of Mistpaw on his back more than a little overwhelming. He was tired- they all were, but even mighty leaders had to accept their limits and know when it was time to back off a little.

The dark gray tomcat padding on the far right sighed mournfully, "Did we really go the entire day without eating?" A moan of confirmation answered him, realization dawning over the cream cat in front.

"And we'll go another day if it means getting closer to the Clans," Fallenpaw meowed weakly, trying to sound determined but failing with the addition of recent energy burnout.

"What's the point? MagmaClan mountains aren't exactly easy to traverse. Not to mention, the Clans probably think we're dead. So I repeat, what's the point?"

"The point is to return to our homes, Flarepaw," an upset emotion flashed through dull yellow eyes- an unusual sight in the eyes of its host as said cat whirled around. Floodpaw was an unusual character. Oftentimes he seemed aloof and lacked sensibility. He planned that waterside relaxation stunt with his sister- the duo both oblivious to seriousness. So when his optics hardened into stone, brow creased and muzzle crinkling, the sight of a disgruntled Floodpaw was certainly unnerving. "We all have families. Families who miss us very dearly. A proud mother and strong father- probably distraught over losing us. The point is, we all have lives to return to. You can't expect us to just walk away from that."

Another lapse of void encased the woods around them. Scarcely breathing, the felines looked around at one another as if gauging their emotions on the matter thrust upon them mere seconds ago. It wasn't long before their gazes settled on one cat in particular, her pelt tussled and ragged from the wind and nature's gifts. Said pelt bristled, the owner's eyes darkening as her head slumped. A low growl resonated in her throat, a muted guttural cry.

"Family," she scoffed bitterly, plump tail twitching against the forest floor, warping into thought. "I have no family. Smoke, Blackshadow- dead. My parents? Who even knows anymore? Alive or dead it doesn't matter. They obviously didn't care enough about me to come looking after all these moons. As for life in the Clan? Don't even get me started. Day one in that pit was a living nightmare. Constantly teased and berated for everything I did, it was a wonder why I hadn't run away. You want to know why I never went through with it? Because I was a stubborn, worm-hearted coward who sought nothing but respect and admiration from her 'clanmates'. But it didn't matter in the end- they all hated me. They doubted my loyalty countless times, despite my attempts to prove it. I was a loose end, volatile and untrustworthy. I was never a true MagmaClan cat. So in the end, I have no life there. No parents. No family. No life." By this point, she had taken a few steps back, as if shying away from the inevitable fate.

"Flarepaw," Fallenpaw called her cautiously, noting her actions as she distanced herself from their society circle. "Don't -"

"Don't what?" Flarepaw snapped, amber gaze bubbling with newfound rage. "Don't _leave_? Stay here with me? Stuff it! Save it for a she-cat that cares. Save it for _Mistpaw!_" Her lip pulled back in a revolted sneer, accenting the other female's name with blatant repugnance.

"Don't bring my sister into this!" Floodpaw warned harshly, sidestepping alongside Fallenpaw to protect the little ball of sleeping gray fluff.

"Or what? Scared she'll run away again?" The challenge was set and no one was backing down.

"Flarepaw, calm down. Your temper's flared and it's unhealthy. We're all hungry and tired. If we just take a rest we can put this behind us," Anemonepaw interjected, frowning at the turmoil unraveling around him.

The reddish she-cat snarled furiously, "Take a hike, leaf-eater!"

_Uncalled for, _the medicine cat apprentice speculated, his own muzzle subconsciously contorting into a scowl.

"Guys? What's going on?" a sleepy meow ceased the current squabbling. Floodpaw instantly was at her side, rubbing his coat against her's as she slid off Fallenpaw's broad back. He meowed reassuringly, "Nothing sis, Flarepaw's just throwing a tantrum again."

"Don't put the blame on me, worm-faced fiend!" Flarepaw spiraled out of control, emotions erupting like an active volcano. Feelings of pure fury rolled off her pelt in massive surges of explosive energy. It was too far late in the game to force her to calm down. What happened in the next few minutes wouldn't be decided by a level head- rather a muddled one. "I've done nothing! Your worthless flea of a brother started it!"

"Please refrain from insulting my brother," Mistpaw sniffed worriedly, already teary eyed at the intensity of the other she-cat's profanity.

Wildpaw stepped in. "Please just try and calm down. I'm sure if we all just take a break -"

"No!" her screech shook leaves in the trees. "I'm done trying to calm down! I'm done with taking breaks! I'm done with everyone telling me what to do! Well guess what? I'm making my own decisions! And my first is to disband myself from this pathetic band of optimistic saps!" Angry tears leaked from her eyes as she glared defiantly at the shocked group of gasping felines. She took in a shuddering breath and added in a calmer tone, "I'm leaving. I should've done this a long time ago. Don't follow me." Without a moment for argument, she turned sharply on her coal marked legs, darting away from the party as fast as said legs could carry her.

The remaining five stood in complete shell shocked figures. Bodies shook with horror, eyes wide with sudden realization.

Flarepaw was gone.

Their party of six was missing one.

And then there were five.

* * *

_Apologies for it's obvious shortness. I wanted to make it longer but my mind wasn't quite set in it's awesome detail state. That'll probably be once the holidays are over and I have more inspiration.  
_

_Also, this is the start to the spiraling drama. I did say it would get progressively bumpier, did I not? But sadly, it'll only get worse for a few more chapters. I've got it all planned out in my notes and you'll have a semi-happy ending. No other spoilers!_

_Until the next update,_

_\- Snarky_


	12. Not Who You Think

Angry blue-white streaks crackled against the starless blanket, illuminating the sparse woodlands with blinding light for a span of mere seconds before total darkness once again. Dark lumps of shadowy gray loomed at the corners of the sky, shifting across the flat expanse at a rather rapid pace, plump with unshed water. The arid dryness of the air mellowed, wafted away with the mixture of oncoming rain. Another flash, dimmer than the one before, appeared in the sky a bit further away. As thunder rumbled to signify the closeness of the rainstorm, the lightning cries diminished- less violent than the first few strikes. Fat drops descended from the leaking black cotton balls, not unlike the original storm that led a tight knit group of six from their homes.

Now those same six- ahem, _five-_ felines scattered in patternless chaos, thick and thin coats dappled with a quickly increasing amount of water globs. The minimal amount of trees in this certain area proved to be a bit of an inconvenience as they remaining foliage wasn't nearly enough to provide substantial cover. The dry earth materialized into mud, squishy but strangely comforting to the fleeing apprentices. It gave three in particular a sense of home. The feelings of water, mud and sand seemed to be their elements of choice to endure. The other two were less accustomed to the rain, preferring their thick pelts to shield against the cold weather rather than clump heavily with water, forcing them to drag excess weight along on their journey.

Said duo of waterlogged pelts hobbled along in the rear, urging the sleeker pelted trio to take the lead and seek out a form of shelter for the night. There was no way in StarClan they were waiting daybreak in this weather. Not if any of them wanted to avoid developing a sickness overnight.

Through the falling drops, the BlizzardClan pair spotted the trio from the ocean, slouched and huddled close together beside one of the thicker looking trees. Splashing up to their proximity, the orange and white patchwork tom delegated himself to speak the question: "Find anything?"

His answer was a bout of shivers and an appropriate flick of a thin tail, aiming towards the base of the tree. Leaf green optics that glowed midst the rainfall glanced in the mentioned direction, said optics narrowing in confusion. The tree itself was fairly average for this area, the ending tendrils weren't uprooted like their previous tree home was. There wasn't a dug out hollow with enough room for everyone to fit in snug and warm.

"Mistpaw tripped," Anemonepaw spoke, voice wavering as the liquid continued to beat down mercilessly. Every moment they were stuck out in this storm, the longer it reminded them of _that night. _"She stumbled over this hole." Indeed, there was a hole at their paws. Decent sized- probably rabbit dug- but clogged with water in all honesty.

"You're kidding us, right?" the soaked cream tom bellowed; it seemed the weather was affecting everyone similarly. "How are we going to fit in that tiny hole? It's barely big enough for a kit! Last time I checked, we're not kits!"

Mistpaw- or the silhouette that was perceived as Mistpaw- shrank back in the heavy downfall out of shame. Anemonepaw did likewise, clearly ashamed he had failed in his quest to find a suitable place for rest. His sodden tail slunk back around his sleek frame, sage eyes despondent and void of emotion save for disappointment.

"No sense in getting angry at one another Wildpaw," Fallenpaw stepped in between the one-sided argument, his own crown hung loose with fatigue. "Let's just get up to the cliff face, surely we can find some rock shelter or something." Leaving those words to sink in their heads, the orange and white tom trudged ahead in the lead, closely followed by the OceanClan brother and sister. Wordlessly, both the remaining toms shifted to their paws, moving as quickly as possible to catch up with the disappearing felines, their shapes almost hidden by ways of rain.

By now the lightning storm had fallen silent, but that didn't mean any less water flooded the earth in gallons. Puddles formed in the dips in the ground, mixed with the dirt to create the muddy substance everyone walked through with great disgust. The hulking figure of the mountains loomed in front of them, the craggy faces easily able to host some form of shelter for one night. Through the darkness, the shadow figure of Fallenpaw stood atop a large boulder, nosing Mistpaw up the cliff side with the help of her brother. From the far back, Wildpaw heard her squeak and stilled a sigh of sympathy. Mistpaw and Floodpaw were still very young compared to the others on this journey. Their pads had yet to accustom to the sharpness of the rugged terrain. Shooing away help to climb, the brown medicine cat insisted he could scale the first few jumps by himself, denying any form of aid- even from his fellow OceanClan 'paws.

No one argued and the party of five bounded from rock to rock in silence, sans the pebble clattering as a certain boulder fell unsteady and shifted, therefore resulting in an action of movement of other tiny stones among the mountainside.

"Ouch!" the sharp wail of piercing pain echoed from a few fox lengths from the feline taking the rear- Fallenpaw.

The urgency in the adjacent's voice cut through the rain as easily as the cry itself. "Floodpaw! What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?" Her voice cracked with unlimited worry- not quite hysteria, but definite concern.

"Fine," came the strained grunt of the dark gray tom, wincing as he looked at his injured paw pad with distaste. "Just hurts a little." At this point, the other scampered as quickly as they could, lurking in a semi circle around the young 'paw. Floodpaw tried to press on, putting weight on the scarred pad and hissed loudly. "Ok, it hurts a lot."

"What happened?" Wildpaw asked, breathy from the quick sprint uphill while Anemonepaw was at his compatriot's side to inspect the wound.

"It appears to be a cut pad- just a slice," the med cat surmised, squinting in the rainfall. "But I can't very well treat it in this condition. Nor should you be walking on it. We have to find some sort of shelter."

Five pairs of eyes darted around, but only one able body split from the group in search for a safe haven. The next few jumps toward the right were fairly straining on his already thick pelt, but regardless, he was determined to make something of himself. Fallenpaw asserted the role of leader quite well; Flarepaw, when she was here, seemed to serve as the "loyal" deputy; Anemonepaw was obviously well versed in the medical district; and Floodpaw and Mistpaw were on their way to be the carefree warriors with soon to be discovered hunting and fighting skills. But what was he? Was he just shoved to the side and assigned the "flirting" title? Was that all the others saw him as- a huge flirt?

"See anything down there, Fallenpaw?" Wildpaw heard Mistpaw shout from beside her brother. Fallenpaw had trekked back down a few fox lengths, scanning the path behind them to see if they missed anything potentially useful.

"Not yet!" came the gargling reply and the cream tom turned back to the task at paw.

"We're all going to catch white-cough if we stay out here any longer!" Anemonepaw warned, already wary upon watching the young OceanClanners start shivering. Their pelts firmly pressed together like siblings would, desperate and fearful for one another. Even through the haze their glassy orbs glimmered with shuddering anticipation.

Determination flooded through the BlizzardClanner's veins. His eyes narrowed tightly, leaving a bare crack in which to see out of. From there it was only a matter of finding a discrepancy in the surroundings.

Rock.

Rock.

Stone.

Pebble.

Moss.

Crack.

Cave.

Rock.

_Wait!_

"Up here!" Wildpaw's voice split the noise of the downpour much like a shattering bolt of lightning. Suddenly, all eyes turned to him. His eyes, along with his head, turned to the left, indicating his recent find. Closest to the destination, he let the others follow him scrambling over the obstacles to the mossbed front. His large paws pressed against the flat of the rock, clumsily bouncing from boulder to boulder. With each stride, his hulking figure moved closer to the pinpoint shelter. His body relaxed in relief as the soggy moss squished against his rough and calloused pads. Wildpaw shook his great shaggy coat as he stumbled inside; blood pounding in his ears, preventing him from noticing the immediate entrance of Mistpaw and Anemonepaw as they herded the limping Floodpaw to the cave's rear. A great sigh of satisfaction echoed from the cave mouth, the silhouette of their self appointed leader last to enter.

"Great find, eh?" the orange and white tomcat chuckled to himself, water droplets cascading from his pelt in spastic patterns as he gave a few violent shakes of said coat. Similarly, the others found it appropriate to do so as well and within seconds, the only sounds in the cavern were those of thrashing fur and flying water drops hitting the rock walls and floor.

Mostly free from their liquid bonds, the party of five shuffled to the far end. Floodpaw crashed on his side unceremoniously, grunting as his injured appendage scuffed against an unseen protrusion from the ground. His sister squealed in panic, only calmed when Anemonepaw assured her he wasn't going to die from a bump on the paw. It was unfortunate that being on the constant move meant less time for gathering medical supplies, so there wasn't anything to sustain the faint crimson dribble. Anemonepaw regretfully admitted the 'paw would have to endure it until morning where they would hopefully find something useful. Strained and tired, Floodpaw remained on his side, yellow orbs slipping shut as the comforting wave of fur that was his sister settled down beside him, at ease. Warmth rippled at their underbellies, an odd comfort that lulled them to sleep easily.

"Why's it so warm in here?" Fallenpaw yawned, the effects of heat and nighttime steadying his frazzled nerves.

"We've officially reached the MagmaClan mountains. I'm sure you've heard the stories," Anemonepaw piped up, leaving a few paces from his patient. "The insides are composed of large magma pools. The heat must be seeping through the rock. Not unnatural. I doubt we'll suffer. If anything it will be faintly pleasurable. Am I taking watch tonight?"

"I thought I'd do it," the patchwork tom interjected, legs bunched as he moved toward the rainy entrance. He was stopped as the sleek furred medicine cat apprentice moved quicker.

"No really, I'll take it. You've been taking too many late shifts and hardly wake up anyone else at all. As a medicine cat, I order you to get some rest. Now, go join the others." With a tail flick, he pointed to the sleeping siblings as well as the bedraggled lump of cream fur signifying Wildpaw as he also joined them in the realms of dreaming. Meanwhile, the brown tom slithered to the entrance with silent paw steps. The rainfall continued to beat down, forcing the sage-eyed feline a few steps back unless he fancied a cold shower while on watch. He sniffed the moving liquid, craning his head over her shoulder to peer back at the group.

So peaceful. So serene.

It was hard to imagine all of them had been through so much. It was almost unbearable. How much more would they need to endure to make the final stretch home?

With a final stretch of his parting jaws, Anemonepaw guarded his friends from the fiendish wonders of the night, dutifully ignoring the repetition in the downpour- a lullaby of magic.

* * *

Dawn.

Daybreak.

Sunrise.

However you prefer to describe it.

A damp, panting figure forced themselves up and around the rockier part of the mountain, desperately trying not to lose the morning's catch now firmly clamped in said figure's jaws. An all to eager mouse had been today's early morsel- hopefully enough to last a few hours. Its reddish fur blended with the colors of the rising sun, charcoal paws hidden by the shadows.

Another few mighty leaps over disturbed stones and the slender bodied feline found itself slinking inside the dark abode, tripping over an unseen lump on the way in.

"Gah!"

"Oof!"

Came the cries, both shaking away hazy minds before staring eye to eye.

"What are you doing here?" Bitterness clung to the female's icy tone, clearly in no mood for humor as her green eyes narrowed. Instant confusion marred the second's face, muzzle contorted in shock, fear, and realization at the same time.

"Flarepaw?!"

A startled gasp sounded from behind them. Whirling around gave sight to two small cats- one pale gray, the other dark. The pale gray screamed. The dark gray fainted.

* * *

_Nope nope nope. Not saying a word. You figure it out yourself. Though I left a pretty big clue as to who this other cat is not. Guess you'll have to find the discrepancy in the chapter. _

_\- Snarky_


	13. Confessions Pt 1

Silence.

Dead silence.

A shudder.

A blink.

A stifled gasp.

A tail twitch.

A flank falling. Rising.

Finally, one brave soul in the coat of orange and white patchwork spoke up. "Flarepaw?"

A moment of hesitation brought an ear flick from the female, though his initial answer was an offending scoff. "I don't know who this 'Flarepaw' is, but I assure you, I'm not her," the reddish she-cat bit out sharply. Fallenpaw blinked- even her words had a similar sharpness. Without immediately replying, he looked her over a few times. She was slender, but thick furred much like her original twin. Her figure seemed a little bigger than her counterpart- normal sized, if you will. Said pelt was in similar shade- a merging of russet hues darkening near her paws which weren't stockings. Instead, they were plain black dipped paws. However, there was one difference that could never be overlooked.

Her eyes.

Flarepaw's were deep, liquid honey-amber puddles of emotion. Rage, fear, enigma. Not one word could describe the intensity of those moon-round orbs.

The stranger's were different. Facing away from the streaming sunlight, they mimicked the hue of a shadowed, pine green forest. Similarly, they pierced into the soul, eerie and nerve wracking.

But one thing was sure.

This wasn't Flarepaw.

"If you're not Flarepaw," the cautious chirp squeaked into the open from the gray she-cat coddling the fallen figure of a darker smoke hue. "Then who are you?"

"Better question," the Flarepaw clone countered easily. "Who are _you?_ I come home to discover a party of five has made shelter in my place of residence. I don't recall making this cave a freelance hideaway. I worked hard to keep this place hidden."

"Obviously not hidden well enough if I found it," Wildpaw coughed under his breath, earning an all too familiar scowl aimed at his direction.

"Regardless, who are you? You're trying my patience," she huffed snarkily, demanding an answer as well as keeping a semi-level tone of voice.

"We're nobodies," the brown tom near the entrance answered quickly. "We're sorry to intrude and we'll be on our way." He moved to take the lead, halting abruptly as the flame furred feline pounced in front, blocking the way beyond.

She hissed. "Nah uh! You're all staying right here until I get my answer I deserve. Nothing goes through these mountains without me knowing about it. I repeat, who are you?"

"Travelers," Fallenpaw pushed himself to the front, facing the unknown with an emotionless expression. Keeping diplomatic propriety was essential in preventing a battle. It was best if the stranger didn't see them as a threat. "We're from the large group of cats on the other side of the mountains."

"The Clans," the reddish feline prompted, blunt and lacking similar emotion.

Everyone blinked, looking at one another in hopes of someone knowing what was going on.

"You know the Clans?" Mistpaw squeaked, padding closer to get a better view at the other she-cat. She was just as, if not more, intimidating as Flarepaw. Her green orbs weren't blazing with hostility, but there was a spark that definitely demanded your respect.

"Of course I know the Clans," the female huffed indignantly. "Everyone around here does."

"If you don't mind me asking, how exactly do you know about them?" Anemonepaw sided up to Fallenpaw, curiosity in his sage eyes. "You remind us of someone we knew from the Clans, but I doubt you were part of them...were you?"

The she-cat shook her head. "Nah. I just remember them from stories when I was but a kit. I was raised up here in the mountains, living off tales of massive feline groups dwelling the areas around here. I also have a sister. She's part of one."

"Which one? Or can you not recall?" the thick cream tom made his voice known, stepping forward out of curiosity beside the small gray she-cat, joining Fallenpaw and Anemonepaw.

"MagmaClan," she said pointedly, sitting down gracefully with a swoop of her tail.

"Too bad we don't have our sixth member, this would've been so much - ow!" Floodpaw's indignant voice rose above them in the rear, subsided as Mistpaw, without remorse, kicked his muzzle with her hind paw.

"Sixth member?" the stranger inquired with a tilt of her slender crown so much like the latter. "Do you means to tell me that there is another? Another member who is from MagmaClan?"

"Her name's Flarepaw," Mistpaw added helpfully.

"You've met my sister?"

Had any of them been eating, they all would've been choking by now. Eyes inflamed to the size of moons, shell shocked and immobile.

The ginger female rolled her own eyes. "Honestly, you gullied up sparrows. If I had any right to assume, I'd say you just saw a ghost."

"Not that far off base," Fallenpaw forced out, looking the stranger straight in her pine green eyes. "You're...you're Blackshadow."

* * *

_"She's Blackshadow?"_

"The one and only." The feline puffed her chest up slightly.

"Blackshadow..."

"That's my name- don't wear it out."

"Blackshadow..."

"Ok seriously, you all can stop repeating my name as if you're seeing some apparition." The newly discovered Blackshadow sighed with distaste, half talking to herself.

"But you're dead..." Fallenpaw pressed, eyes still blown with the initial shock.

"Well I'm obviously not," the she-cat snapped in exasperation. For effect, she swiped a black forepaw and struck it square on the tom's muzzle. With a yelp of dismay, he tumbled down on his back, rubbing the stinging snout with careful strokes from his pads. "There." She announced, voice sharp. "You felt that. Therefore, I am not a spirit. Ergo, I'm not dead."

"B-But how?" It was a rare sight to see Fallenpaw lose his cool. His feathered tail couldn't stop twitching, his eyes swirling with a whirlpool of emotions. His forepaws began kneading the cave floor, not particularly caring as he scraped his calloused pads. "Flarepaw _cried_ for you. She never cries. I cried with her. She trusted me enough to tell me what she went through. She trusted me! I trusted her! She told me how you stood on the ledge, how it cracked under your weight, how you fell with a howl, how you disappeared from sight, how you fell into a magma pool...You should be dead."

"Should is a loose term. Just because I _should_ be dead, doesn't mean it wasn't possible for me to be alive. And by the way you felt me smack your muzzle, I'm pretty sure you know I'm not dead. Face the facts, Fallenpaw," Blackshadow hissed without having to verify his name beforehand. She knew who he was from the moment their eyes locked. "Yes, Flarepaw saw me fall- she saw the rocks crumble- for StarClan's sake she heard me cry like a newborn kit!" She let her words hang in the air for a moment, dropping her head as she added, "But she didn't see the impact."

Anemonepaw cleared his throat, motioning for Blackshadow to sit. "I think it would do us all some good if you started from the beginning."

Swallowing thickly, the ginger feline took a seat against the cave wall, as if mentally preparing to tell someone her greatest secret. At this point, it might of well as been. No one has ever gotten this far into her past. That's how it was intended. But this was Fallenpaw- Flarepaw's confident. Blackshadow had to trust him, just as her sister had done. "Very well. I'll start from the beginning.

"Fallenpaw knows- Flarepaw wasn't exactly clanborn. Both she and I kept this a closely guarded secret. But before I get too ahead of myself, it all started in the heart of the mountain. One of these many caves I assume. My mother- our mother- was what the clanners would call a 'loner'. She wasn't a clan cat, nor was she raised by twolegs. She just kind of appeared to my knowledge. Regardless, I had a very abusive father. Stiff faced, arrogant and biased, he refused to believe a female could be worth anything more than producing offspring. When Rosemary- mother to Flare and I, stood up against him, she was hurt pretty badly. But it only made her resist further according to the stories. Although this time, when he struck me -" she paused on the note, giving time to toss her head and reveal a scar stretching from her ear down a little ways to the side of her neck. Most of the fur had regrown, but there was a noticeable difference in pelt texture and the clean line was faintly visible. "- Rosemary couldn't take it. She ran away with me into the night and struggled to raise me. There we were, lost, alone, hungry...but away from the tyranny of my father. It was difficult, but we managed to get along peacefully in the mountains for a few moons before everything started spiraling into disaster."

Blackshadow took in an audible breath, swallowing to moisten her arid throat before continuing the tale.

"Rosemary got herself into some trouble while out scouting for a morning meal. She managed to trespass in some territory belonging to a so-called 'MagmaClan'. She got pounced by an orange tabby. That cocky, arrogant, gut writhing worm face got her knocked up and it wasn't long before the bulge in her belly grew again. Little later, when the seasons drew colder, Rosemary gave birth to a pair of kittens: Flare and Smoke. She however, was too weak and lacking food to produce milk. Being the good big sister, I set off bravely without mother's permission, to seek nourishment for my younger kin. Sadly, I returned empty pawed. My hunting wasn't par with any of the other surviving rogues, I was only a few moons old at the time. So when I returned, I was in shock to find my mother gone, Smoke and Flare mewling helplessly. I coddled them all night, desperately trying to keep them warm. It was another day I forced myself to look after the brats. Mother had yet to return and we were all starving. I couldn't just stand and wait around. So I did the only rational thing, I left. I left the cavern, clutching Flare and Smoke in my jaws for the impeccable journey ahead."

There was another drawn out pause, the others comprehending the story with silence. They awaited the bigger she-cat to continue. She didn't disappoint.

"It wasn't long before we found another cave leading into the network of tunnels winding around under the volcanic mountain. It was certainly warmer than outside, the internal magma pools heating the air and the rock surroundings. It was there I came face to face with my siblings' father. He didn't recognize me, but Rosemary told me all about him before she disappeared. About the bulky orange tabby tomcat with eyes like the ocean. A jagged nick in his left ear. Black nose. White toes. Yeah, I knew who he was."

_"What is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed as the red ginger nosed a pair of kits to his white-toed paws._

_"Your kits," grumbled Blackshadow. "Your's and Rosemary's. You know, the cat you 'attacked' when crossing into your territory?" Her muzzle wrinkled in distaste. It was obvious she didn't like this cat. "Yeah, these are yours, disgusting worm pelt."_

_"Worm pelt!" the little ginger kit, almost a replica of Blackshadow squeaked and giggled. Blackshadow bit back a grin of satisfaction._

_Across from them, the tabby was still in shock. He was sniffing both kits tentatively, trying to make sense of everything. "So what have you come here for?"_

_"Daft mouse," the small she-cat hissed under her breath. Regardless of how made up her attempted insults sounded, it gave her a rush of something to watch the tabby frown and the female kitten repeat it. "Rosemary's gone missing and I can't hunt and these kits are going to die and so now I'm giving them to you. You're their father, look after them."_

"Long story short, I managed to convince him to take in the kits, albeit begrudgingly. It was obvious the warrior was in his prime and didn't want to be weighed down by kits. It turned out he already had an official mate within the Clan and said mate was displeased to find her nest shared with the spawn of the warrior and some rogue. And it only took a few days before her wrath turned sour against Rosemary's kits. Smoke- he was denied milk. He died in his sleep soon after, malnourished and fatigued. Sparktail, the queen, denied all claims against her and told everyone Smoke was the one who refused to drink. I couldn't let that happen to my sister. So before any more damage could be dealt, I- old enough to be an apprentice- ran away with my younger sibling."

The dryness was creeping up against her throat again, forcing another large swallow and a cough.

"I raised her. I raised little Flare to the best of my abilities. We struggled, but I learned a few hunting tactics from our brief visit with MagmaClan. I kept us both in traveling condition and gave her little tips on fighting. She was eager, but also defiant. I don't know where she got it from, but once she hit four moons, she started on the sass. We got into more arguments than necessary. She nitpicked at nearly everything I said. I remember, one day in particular, we were in a heated conversation. I wouldn't let her leave the little hole I discovered. She was too young to go out wandering by herself and I wasn't planning on taking her with me. I forced her to stay or else she wasn't going to receive an evening meal. Infuriated, she agreed, and I went to go find food. But when I came back..." Tears welled in Blackshadow's pine eyes. "When I came back, she was gone. I can't remember how long I ran around, screeching her name, begging her to be OK. I finally received an answer and bolted towards the cries of fear. Flare had gotten herself stuck on a high rock ledge, hovering above a set of small magma pools. I saw her shaking in fear as she wailed to go back home. I raced to her rescue, climbing up the thin pathway as quick as I could. It didn't hold my weight though. Just as I had grabbed her scruff, the rock gave way and we both started to tumble. In a panic, I threw Flare to the side, knowing she'd land somewhere safe on another perch. But I fell, howling the entire way down. Then silence."

Fallenpaw in particular leaned closer, desperate to know the difference in Flarepaw's story and Blackshadow's.

"The thing is, I did fall. I did legitimately land beside a pool. It all went black when my head cracked against the stone. I didn't remember breathing. I lost consciousness, and even worse...my life." Blackshadow saw the gaping jaws of the other five, quickly jumping ahead before any questions could be asked. "When my eyes opened, I saw myself surrounded by nothing but white. Just a vast sea of emptiness. Then, strolling casually from the light, a golden pelt sauntered into view. Black feet, black ears, black tailtip. One eye the color of a deep lake, the other the hue of blood. Around his neck hung a crimson collar, adorned with some kind of fancy coiled black ribbon."

* * *

_Gosh darn it! XD Anything sounding familiar there in the last paragraph?_

_Because I hate ending on such an abrupt ending, the next chapter will be up very soon. There's also the fact I ended up writing a thousand words over my usual chapter limit so I decided to make it two chapters. Enjoy as I crawl away from my hiatus!_

_\- Snarky_


	14. Confessions Pt 2

_"So, Blackshadow is it? Strange name. But then again, who am I to talk? I've got a pretty weird name too. Can't even be spoken by your species. Much too difficult. I think your brain might explode if I told you." The tomcat hovered in the sea of whiteness, floating just in front of the she-cat, nose to nose._

_"What do you want?" Blackshadow hissed, temples flaring with pain as the cat before her grinned._

_"What do I want?" the golden tom blinked, feigning mock surprise. "I think the real question is, what do you want?"_

_It was Blackshadow's turn to look surprised, however it was more genuine than the heterochromatic feline. "What do you mean, what do I want? I don't want anything."_

_There was a smirk in the cat's timbre as he spoke. "Oh really now? You don't want your life back- better yet, you don't want your sister's life back?"_

_"Flare! If you've hurt her..." Blackshadow began in rage, pelt bristling, eyes narrowed._

_"Oh hush, I haven't done a thing to her," the golden snapped in retaliation, muzzle crinkling with annoyance. "Not yet anyways." He continued even as Blackshadow scowled deeply, ear ears pinned flat against her cranium. "The thing is, neither of you were ready to die. You were meant to live a full life, sadly. You both were. You can see you're at an impasse. You are dead and Flare is unconscious- though I doubt she'll stay that way for much longer. I do grow a tad bit impatient, you know. But since I'm a nice guy after all, I'm willing to make a deal."_

_"I don't make deals," Blackshadow hissed. "Mama said not to talk to strangers."_

_"Oh right, Mama Rosemary. How is she these days?"_

_Blackshadow blinked, unsure how to answer. Regardless, the tom seemed to continue as if she hadn't said anything and he began to circle her._

_"The deal is this; I give you your life back- your sister's too, before she has a chance to come her on her own accord."_

_Blackshadow's head cocked to the side, continuing to frown. "There's a catch somewhere. You wouldn't just let me leave with my life without asking for something in return." She felt her gut clench as the golden muzzle upturned into a right sickening grin. His tail swished with enthusiasm. "Right you are! The catch, as you so put it, involves you and your sister. Specifically your future interactions. I give you both life, and in return I ask you never to interact with one another. Ever again."_

_"What?!" the reddish feline lost it. "You're asking me to never speak to my sister ever again? That's preposterous!" She added as the other cat nodded, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Why would I do such as stupid thing like that?!"_

_Blackshadow swore if that cat grinned any more, his face would be nothing but a toothy maniacal smile. "Why you ask? To save your sister. Obviously you don't really care for your life being returned- sibling love fiddle faddle and such." His face contorted into a sneer of disgust. "So I could care less about bringing you back even though I'm just sweetening the deal. But besides all that, you forget who's slowly fading from reality and is surely to die if any wounds aren't attended to. The longer you wait and try and decide, the quicker poor little Flare is going to suffer. Really now, I thought this would've been an easy choice. But I guess if you're not willing to give a little, I suppose we can go back to plan A." He turned in the air, black paws swaying as his slim figure started to worm away, nearly sucked up by the blinding light._

_"Wait!" Her voice, hollow and defeated, echoed. Which in turn earned a smirk of confidence as the tom's ear twitched and swiveled. "I'll do it. For her life and for mine. I'll cut off our communications. She can think I really did die and go on with her life. A life where I won't intervene."_

_"Thought you'd see it my way. Sooner or later I suppose. Guess that means we've got a deal, hmm?" Without waiting an appropriate response, the cat's forepaws ignited, plumes of blue fire rippling from their origin and creating a barrier circle around himself and Blackshadow._

_"I don't even know your name, can I even trust you?" Blackshadow called over the roar of the flames._

_"Names aren't important sweet." He shot her a charismatic smile. "And as for trusting me? Let's just say making a deal with me isn't the worst thing you could've done. Though it's not the best either. See ya later, kid! I'd ask you to give my regards to your sis, but I guess you can't exactly speak to one another!" A series of maddening cackles erupted and echoed, lingering even as the host disappeared and all faded to white in a single flash._

"I never figured out exactly who it was I spoke to. Before I left MagmaClan, I heard of their connections with a spiritual realm considered StarClan. He was possibly one of them. I know it was stupid! But I was young and a fool. Who knew if Flare would make it? I was certainly dead but I couldn't say the same for Flare. In fear of her losing her life if I backed out of a deal, I ran. I ran through the tunnels and away from my kin as I heard her awake. I heard her cries of dismay, begging me to come back to her. But I couldn't obey. I couldn't..."

"Blackshadow, I'm so -"

She held up her tail abruptly, not done with her tale.

"With a heavy heart, I observed from the sidelines as Flare, now Flarekit and soon Flarepaw, returned to the life I had tried to get her away from. Even without realizing it, my little sister was still defying me. I watched her grow up as a runt, teased and bullied by many of the older kits. I wanted to race to her side and aid her, but it was impossible. It gave me some solace to find out she clawed one of them, giving him a scar to remember never to call her 'runtling' again." She chuckled at the memory before moving onto more serious matters. "After a while, I guess it finally got to her cold outer shell that I was never coming back. She had long since met Fallenpaw and tried to fill the hole in her heart. At that point she must've broken down and told you everything, not once considering the fact that I was alive."

The warrior sized female released a haggard sigh, shaky but laced with relief. It had taken much concentration to keep her from openly sobbing as she meandered down memory lane. Her slumped head lifted, meeting the shocked faces of those around her. The one called Mistpaw looked close to tears, the darker gray beside her attempting to offer comfort. The brown tom forced his gaze away, staring blankly at his own paws in complete lack of vocals. The thick cream feline similarly looked about the cavern, dark eyes blown out of proportion and jerking from one figure to the next. Finally, Fallenpaw locked sights with Blackshadow, each reading one another's agony and strife. Both had been through much emotional turmoil and both were accepting it without the use of words. Blackshadow thought she saw Fallenpaw's crown bob in a little nod; she returned the gesture.

"Wait a moment," the nod faltered as realization dawned upon Flarepaw's clone. "If Flare is your sixth member, that means she should be here. Why isn't she here?"

An empty void passed over the others, resulting in a frowning Blackshadow. "Come on," she prompted. "If my sister's here, I can't be here. And because she isn't, I need to know why."

"We kind of had a falling out," Fallenpaw grit his teeth, tense and afraid to reveal too much.

"One where some of us had ideas, another had differing thoughts, which resulted in a tiny dispute," Anemonepaw added.

"There was an argument! Flarepaw couldn't take it anymore! She said she had no family and no reason to return to a world of hate and despair! She was emotional and ran away!" Mistpaw couldn't take anymore of the guilt and half truths and let her words sink in.

"Flare...you mean you let her leave? By herself? Alone?!" Blackshadow's voice raised an octave, clearly infuriated by the time she understood the situation. "You didn't chase after her? You didn't pin her down and yell some sense into her? You didn't do anything but watch as my kin ran away in the height of an emotional breakdown! You don't understand! Flarepaw can't handle emotions by herself! She needs someone to look after her! I stopped watching over her shoulder because I thought she was safe in your sight!"

"Guess you were wrong," the downcast timbre of Floodpaw hovered in the air. This time, Mistpaw didn't hit him.

"I can't lose her too," Blackshadow snarled through her tears. "I can't lose my baby sister. I already had to watch her lose me- I can't lose her. You can't lose her. Why did you lose her?!"

"She didn't want us to follow her. She said she was done with the Clans." Wildpaw spoke up bluntly. "Shouldn't you be happy? You fought her to stay away from the Clans; now she left them for good. Shouldn't you be happy for her? She made her own choices, she's growing up. She's becoming an adult. She's becoming a warrior."

Blackshadow felt a tug in her heart. She knew he was right. She couldn't keep a reign on her sister any longer. The knot had been severed and Flarepaw was on her own journey.

"In fact, I propose we spend this time to acknowledge our little warrior and all contribute something to her memory." Wildpaw continued speaking, closing his eyes respectfully and began talking aloud as he sat. "I'll start; Flarepaw, I'll admit, I did have thoughts for you. You weren't just some pretty hussy who melted from the knees whenever I said something sultry. No. You back talked. You spat. You hissed. You fought. And I found that intriguing. You were the first to collide with my charms and the first to really catch my attention. I admired you, secretly wishing you would be mine. But it's clear you can't be tied down. Being mates isn't for you, for you love the freedom. I wish you find it on your journey ahead."

There was a lapse of silence and Wildpaw wondered if they were going to go along with his plan. He was content when a small voice broke the dead void.

"Flarepaw," Mistpaw timidly said. "I didn't know you all that well, I'm afraid. I've seen you at gatherings. You were the one Floodpaw and I crashed into the night of the storm. We knocked you into the mud and you were very much displeased. I must apologize now because I never remember doing so on that night. I was glad to not be the only she-cat on this trek back home and I...I looked up to you. You were so brave and fearless. I'm glad you found a better life, I only wish to have gotten to know you better."

Anemonepaw stepped in. "Flarepaw. Reckless flea pelt," he sniffed disdainfully, continuing hurriedly before the others could call him out on name calling. "You got yourself scraped up more than the rest of us. I should know, I had to patch up your messes. You're stubborn, a hothead and an overall unpleasant feline to be stuck with for a moon. But that's what makes you you. You were the spark to the sodden wood and bleak skies. You added the adventure. And don't think I don't remember the day you saved me. I suppose this goes more to Fallenpaw, but your presence gave me relief and fear. I was relieved you were alive and well, by fearful by the glint in those harsh ambers. Only you could pull off such a look. Thank you."

"Flarepaw," sighed a soft voice from the rear, taking his place among the bouncing speeches. "Like my sister, I never knew you all that much. I'm sorry for pushing you into the mud. I overheard that you scared my sister. You made her think I was dead. I was always protective of her and when you antagonized her, I always seemed to hold a grudge against you. You tried to pick fights and only stepped in when you purposefully aimed your cruel words at Mistpaw. But I know Blackshadow thinks dearly of you. You are her sister after all. And like all good siblings, you seem to look out for those who can't themselves. I can respect you. I'm actually glad you were here on this journey." Floodpaw took a deep intake of breath, followed by an equally deep exhale as he settled close to the gray she-cat's side.

The remaining feline held himself in the silence. He continued this way until he was nudged on the shoulder by the fluffy cream tom. "Right," Fallenpaw cleared his throat, eyes closing like everyone else. "Flarepaw. Where can I begin? The beginning I suppose. We met blindly at a gathering. I recall you were being forced to play nice and introduce yourself to the other Clans. You were awfully reluctant and I do remember your rather foul temper. But I was having none of it," he chuckled before tacking on. "I clearly made up my mind who I was in a friendship situation and I was surprised to find you lock up in surprise- obviously no one had set you straight. I guess that started it all, because the next gathering you sought me out for a conversation. As you put it bluntly, 'other MagmaClan 'paws are wormfaces'. I guess it was a mutual friendship. I only had Wildpaw for company- whom I figured out you had a massive dislike for on day one. The fact remains, it seemed you enjoyed conversing with someone from another Clan despite your initial thoughts about us. But you still talked to me. It got to the point of a trust bond wherein you confided in me about your sister." At this point, an unseen Blackshadow looked at Fallenpaw. Unaware of her stare, the orange and white feline furthered his speech. "You told me the one story you've never told anyone else before. I really appreciate how far our relationship has come. It's a shame all good things have to end, but I'm so happy you were able to consider me a confident. Even better- a friend."

"You sick freaks!" Blackshadow exploded in a bought of fury, maw ajar with brilliant fangs and even a few droplets of angry saliva. "What are you- you're talking like she's dead or something! How dare you tarnish my sister's good name! You're acting as if she isn't alive and well- what's wrong with you?!"

Wildpaw looked like he was going to pick a fight but Fallenpaw beat him to it. "Just sit down, shut up, and pay your respects," he snapped out harshly, tired of all the arguing. "We're not tarnishing her name. In fact, we're glorifying it. Endure it and just say something nice to your sister."

The dark russet hued female huffed furiously, claws sliding in and out from her black marked paws. "Flarepaw," she finally said. "While this does seem a tad bit odd, it gives me a chance to say all the things I never did while we were apart. I'm sorry. For everything. For pretending I was dead, for leaving you all alone in MagmaClan without any friends, for forcing you to have an emotional breakdown...Everything. My only sister, my only kin. I'm so sorry. So I hope you can forgive me for being such a terrible role model. I wish I could see how far you've come. But I let you down- I can understand if you never want to speak with me. Best wishes, from your dearest sister." By the end of her short, emotional release, Blackshadow was haggard and curled up tightly against the cold stone floor.

"There, that wasn't so hard- was it?" Fallenpaw appeared at her side, helping the older she-cat to her paws with a soft smile. "C'mon. There's more heat at the back of the cave." His features creased into compassion, offering his broad shoulder as a base for Flarepaw's sibling to lean on in comfort as they all shuffled to the rear with a clear conscience.

"I really hope, wherever she is, my little Flare is safe," the coal footed cat announced, voice wrecked from her previous confession as well as the tiresome backstory.

Fallenpaw looked at her with that same stare of respect. "We all do." And with an exhausted yawn, all six pulled themselves to the rear wall, huddled closely with the impressions of a tight knit bond.

This was how it was supposed to be.

"Hey, Blackshadow."

"Hmm?"

"If Flarepaw's your sister, why'd you say you didn't know anyone called 'Flarepaw'?"

Smile. "I like messing with everyone."

* * *

_And the concluding chapter to this two-parter. Not much to say. Hope to see you guys later. And I hoped you learned a lot through this adventure so far. Tell me your thoughts? Ankaa~ Did I mess with your mind too much? XD_

_\- Snarky_


	15. Swept Back

Floodpaw felt his muzzle being poked.

He was in the midst of a dream, fantasizing about catching the biggest fish in OceanClan history and lugging it back for everyone to see and admire. The rest of the Clan was cheering, howling, 'Floodpaw! Floodpaw!'. At his side was his sister, eyes crinkling with a tidal wave of emotions- mostly excessive happiness. From afar were his parents, Seafoam and Quivertail, chests puffed with the rush of pride as their son flaunted his catch of the day.

But just as he was about to sink his jaws into the plumpest salmon ever thought imaginable, the feeling of tiny needles poking his snout aroused suspicion and he faded from the dreamland.

"Zzz...Mistpaw?" His tired eyes fluttered open, his yellow optics meeting a contrasting blue. The host's paw was settled on his muzzle, tiny claws unsheathed as they poked and prodded his stubby appendage.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" The small gray she-cat chided playfully, pulling away with a giddy laugh. "Blackshadow says we're going on an adventure!"

"Who?" Floodpaw murmured, head obnoxiously sore and unable to immediately recall the events of earlier.

"Blackshadow! Flarepaw's older sister," his own sister answered smartly, nosing his injured paw to check for any issues as per Anemonepaw's instructions. She found that it was healing nicely thanks to the medicine cat's supply of herbs. No longer was it swollen and crusty, with pus leaking from the boils of irritated skin. "Looks much better than it did the other day!" she chirped cheerily, never giving her sibling a chance to reply before dabbing on like a sparrow hyped up on too much catmint. She continued speaking in regards to the bigger Flarepaw clone.

"Anyways, she wants us outside the cave. We still have to wake up Anemonepaw too. Fallenpaw said we should let him sleep longer than everyone else since he works much harder. But everyone else is outside. So hurry up!" Like a good sister, Mistpaw waited for her brother to grab his bearings. She offered her shoulder, knowing Floodpaw shouldn't really be walking on it to prevent further infection. The sibling duo moved side by side, step by step, until they reached the dimly lit mouth of the cave where the bony shape of OceanClan's medicine cat apprentice lay sleeping.

With a few quick words and a series of drawn out yawns, the trio had shoved themselves into the light of the moon, its ghostly essence bathing their pelts with an almost spiritual feeling.

"Oh good, you're all awake now," a smiling Blackshadow padded over to the cave, a noticeable bounce in her her stride. It was a rare sight to see the flame hued she-cat look so unwavered. Compared to a few nights prior, the eldest feline had been the subject to the majority of emotional turmoil. She rarely spoke to any of the others in the hollow, only murmuring gruff statements of acknowledgements as she returned with a small hoard of feasting necessities every sunrise.

Floodpaw felt himself experience a jolt of sympathy every time he cast a mournful glance of yellow upon her downcast figure. He wasn't used to seeing her pelt hidden amongst the shadows dwelling in the rear of the cave and was surely notified by her unformatable mood by the way she snapped at him to watch where he was stumbling. It was either that, or an irritated grumble. It was obvious she needed to confine herself in solitude that Floodpaw apparently wasn't going to give her. His pelt rippled with empathy, fabricating the horrifying dead-end routes as he pondered losing Mistpaw. It wasn't a thought he imagined frequently; in actuality he'd rather avoid those mind scarring inventions altogether. Nevertheless, Blackshadow was someone he instantly found a friendly attraction toward.

"Couldn't we have gone in the morning?" a grumpy brown tom jabbed a paw to Blackshadow's side, clearly disgruntled at the thought of waking up in the middle of the night. He'd recently been put up with stress of looking after the others. Namely Floodpaw and the injury upon his paw pad. The group was unsuccessful in finding suitable herbs for healing in the surrounding rocky terrain so the medicine cat took it upon himself to take a lengthy day trip to bring back some plants. He was of course questioned how it went, but the tomcat refused to offer anything more than vague details. He wasn't clearly in the best of moods for describing an entire's day trek around the woods in search of remedies to clean a foolish 'paw's cut pads.

Aware of his foul temper, but refusal to comply, Blackshadow replied with a Mistpaw-like chirp and a light smack to the back of his grizzled head fur. "What would be the point in that, hmm? I thought you wanted to see your clanmates." Her slender crest nosed toward the twilight, the faintest twinges of wind catching her semi-long fur.

The trio's gazes followed suite, realization crossing over Mistpaw's first. "The gathering!" she exclaimed in profuse excitement, the moonlight staining her fur silver in a new light of solid understanding. The thought alone was enough to make the small posse smile, amused grins gracing their taut lips.

Floodpaw shivered visibly, eyes starting to glass over. "Think of it Mist," he grinned happily, catching her startled glance. "We'll see our family again..." Emotion hung in the mostly silent air. The almost black hued apprentice felt himself clench up, but before he could release a delighted sob, Mistpaw bumped his nose with her own.

"Save the tears," the she-cat whispered, her own optics flooded with the blue of an ocean much like the Clan she represents. "Can't seem overly emotional now, can we? What would everyone else think?" At her statement, Floodpaw found himself tilting his head to the left and to the right to see Blackshadow and Anemonepaw, respectively, standing aside them and observing their conversation.

_As per usual, my sister's the voice of reason._ Floodpaw dipped his crown in apology, wavering back to the largest feline of the four who had already began her climb up the pathway of flat stones up toward the jagged ridge. Giving once last glance to the cave that served as their home for the past few days, the remaining felines of the party fell into a single file line, gradually shortening the distance between them and their Clans.

Floodpaw was careful to avoid further pressuring his hind appendage with the stress of the rocks beneath his paws. He bounced rather clumsily from boulder to boulder, Mistpaw a good fox length behind him.

_I bet she's cursing her short legs,_ he laughed internally, but slowed his movements regardless in order to give the youngest member a chance of retaining dignity.

At the peak of the cliffs, the brother-sister duo met up with the rest of their group, including Fallenpaw and Wildpaw.

"See that big tree down there?" Wildpaw drew a paw up behind his ear, swiping away a tuft of cave moss as his head turned in the aforementioned direction. "That's the oak tree the leaders speak from."

Mistpaw's eyes glittered at the statement. "We're so close!"

"Yet so far away," Floodpaw added forlornly, sullen tone laced with a sigh. For this, Mistpaw blatantly bit his ear, earning a shrill yelp.

"Be quiet!" she snapped, fury illuminating her usually peaceful blue pools. "Saying stuff like that isn't going to help and you know it! It's almost like you don't want to see mom and dad. What's gotten into you? You seemed all prepared for it and then you suddenly act like there's no point in trying! If you want to turn coward like Flarepaw -"

Fallenpaw subconsciously bristled, a possessive rumble in his throat.

" -then I don't care! Just don't drag me down with you!"

Overemotional as always, Mistpaw felt herself unable to even look at her brother's face as she tore recklessly down the jagged slope. She tripped several times trying to find her footing and even landed on her side, but even so she continued to ignore the cries of "Mistpaw! Mistpaw, come back!" and pursued the trees at the very bottom.

"Way to go, foxheart," Wildpaw spoke crudely, somehow not subjected to Fallenpaw's admonishing tone to prevent him from speaking such language to the young cat. But the patchwork tom couldn't argue against the truth, only procuring a sigh of disappointment as he took a more thoughtful path down the slope. The fluffy cream 'paw followed suit but not before shooting the dark gray tom a sneer. Anemonepaw flicked Floodpaw's nose as he passed, disturbed by the heartless actions of his clanmate. Mistpaw had certainly left the scene with tears and everyone knew who's fault it was.

* * *

The pale orb nestled in the sky was gaining height, soon to be at its peak within the next hour at the most. The woods had gone numb with silence, only stirring as the dry leaves crunched and the feathered creatures flew. Its familiar scent of dead oak mixed with pine- a surprisingly comforting scent to those who've wandered the forest before. The scene that lay before nostalgic eyes flooded with warmth at its familiarity. It had been at least two full moon cycles since the time those eyes sought their home. The first time in moons since those paw pads had touched the noisy ground. The first time in moons since those thick pelts brushed against the foreign foliage.

The first time in moons since they could call a place "home".

Shoulders slumped and minds hazy with fatigue, the party of five had begun to drag their feet. It had been a significant amount of time since they hit solid earth after descending the mountain ridge. Blackshadow had walked with them to the base but refused to continue further.

Floodpaw recalled their conversation.

_"Come with us!" he had said, a genuine grin plastered over his muzzle. "You've been with us this far!"_

_She had shaken her head and replied with a sad twitch of her lips. "My heart lies with the mountains. I have no desire to return to the Clans. It's better they assume me dead."_

_"But -"_

_"I will continue my days here; connected to the Clans with my own methods. Connected to the stone. This is my home." A proud expression painted her face. Soft tenderness marred the others' facial poses. An agreement was made and statements were understood._

_"Thank you for everything." Fallenpaw was the first to express gratitude._

_"We won't forget you. Or the kindness you showed us." Anemonepaw had lowered his head in a bow._

_"We'll make sure to visit!" Mistpaw with her endless happiness bounced on her toes._

_"Happy hunting." Wildpaw supplied._

_"And good luck." Floodpaw was the last to speak. Blackshadow looked down on him, fondly. One older sibling to another, and shared a look._

_"May the stars light your path back home." The flame furred she-cat's last words as the group split and dashed for the trees._

_When Floodpaw stole a glance over his shoulder, Blackshadow was gone._

His features were still creased with a bubbly feeling. True, Blackshadow had left them, but he was content with her decision- as were the others- and was glad to have gotten to know her as well as he did. He felt he could connect with her in ways the others couldn't. Call it what you will, Floodpaw thought the two shared a solid bond. Their knowing smiles proved it.

"Hey droopy-eyes," a childish voice chimed from the front, stirring the gray feline from his daydreams. The yellow-eyed glanced up in embarrassment, meeting the mirthful emeralds of a cream hued trickster. "Losing focus back there, hmm? Careful, we might leave you behind." His words were nothing but false accusations. The others wouldn't dare to leave him, least of all Mistpaw. Regardless, Floodpaw shook himself from his fantasies and hurried to pad alongside the bigger apprentice.

"Kinda sad, ain't it?" Wildpaw murmured, half to himself. Floodpaw's ears pricked and he couldn't help but allow the curiosity flutter in his chest.

"What is?"

"This journey," Wildpaw said plainly. "It's basically over. Just beyond that far boulder begins the trail down the rockface and into the clearing. These past moons of fighting and eating and spending time together will be meaningless. Tomorrow will just be another day. We'll be back at each other's throats again. Back to another BlizzardClan and OceanClan grudge. In a matter of days, we could be fighting tooth and claw. I might have to injure one of you three -" implying the OceanClanners before adding, "- and I can't be allowed to show hesitation in battle."

"Are you really becoming such a sap, Wildpaw?" the orange and white tomcat lilted from the front, eavesdropping on the conversation that gradually gained in volume.

"Stuff it!" Dark eyes flashed. "You can't tell me you wont feel any remorse when we lock combat with OceanClan! You can't tell me you won't experience regret after accidentally slicing Mistpaw's belly!"

With her name being spoken so harshly, the timid blue-eyed shied away. Specifically keeping a distance from the patchwork leader.

"Of course I will," Fallenpaw sighed heavily, optics glassy and tired. "But that's life. You spend a moon getting to know someone like the back of your paw and the next day you become brutal enemies. It's just how the Clans work."

"Then the Clans are stupid!" Floodpaw blurted. Motions jerked to a halt and suddenly, all eyes were on him. "...their rules are fish-brained," he continued cautiously, reading the expressions of his comrades for any hints they might turn on him for shaming their seemingly perfect way of life. "We can't have relationships across the borders. We have to swear loyalty to our birth Clan or face consequences in the long run. The code holds us back. It restricts our options. Why can't we still be friends? Why can't you spare our bodies from wounds when fighting? Why do we have to fight in the first place? I tell you, the idea of Clans aren't logical at all."

Silence warped. The wind blew. A cricket chirped.

Fallenpaw shrugged. "Logic doesn't have a say in it. We've been brought up this way. The code is our way of life and we respect it. If obeying my leader means a scratch to one of my 'friends', I'd follow that order through and through. The leader's word is law, after all." His tail lazily swished, kicking up a gust of shriveled leaves. "If you can't come to terms with that, I can't help. Rebel if you want but some of us just want to return home." Without another word, their usually stoic faced leader ambled off at a leisurely pace. Emotionally drained as well, Wildpaw released a heavy exhale and trailed after.

Mistpaw approached her brother out of comfort. "He's just distraught over Flarepaw. Abandoning Blackshadow was also difficult- what with her looking just like her and such. But he's also in the right. We have to follow the code; it's our way of life. Now come on, we should catch up." She gave a reassuring lick to her brother's nose and joined up with the silent wandering Anemonepaw. Murmuring nonsense under his breath, Floodpaw shuffled to accompany her.

"Hey look," Wildpaw announced from the front a drawn out silence later. Before them lay the grand silhouette of the tall oak tree hollowed up in the clearing. Just a fox length from their paws sat a little clumping of pebbles.

"It's the pathway into the clearing. Down this ledge and we can be reunited with our clanmates."

"Home."

"Fallenpaw- you're our leader- lead us home."

With a twinkle in his leaf hued optics and a ruffle of his patchy pelt, Fallenpaw placed his paw upon the pebble road.

* * *

_Looks like we're nearing the end here folks. It didn't turn out as long as I hoped, but I've been denying the inevitable and these little puffballs need to get home. However, this story is far from over. The next two chapters should close this out, and I've planned for you a very special epilogue. _

_Sorry to say it took me this long to finish writing this. Cough cough over a month cough, but the point is that I'm not going to abandon this story. I will see this through to the end, darn it! I will finish this! Let's just hope I don't write seventy-five percent of the chapter and then put it aside for several weeks, 'cause that's pretty much exactly what happened here. Oh powers of procrastination, must you always torment me?_

_That's not all of it though. Inspiration comes and goes with me and I've recently been intensely writing a new original story of mine for the past few weeks. Why do I do this to myself? I'm writing like four stories at once here! Rest assured, they'll all get completed. _

_Eventually. XD_

_\- Snarky_


	16. Recollections

_"What's the matter? Fox got your tongue?"_

The memorial taunt still rang in the depths of his mind. He could see her grin, her perfect posture, a sinful twitch of her whiskers. Vividly, her stark pelt harmoniously melded with the fading sunlight. Whether she knew it or not, she was beautiful. He just didn't have the guts to say it to her face. Put it bluntly by the essence of elegance herself- he was a worm-faced, gutless coward who needs to stand up for himself. While it was never said aloud, it was certainly implied.

_"You cleaned your pelt,"_ was his response to carry the conversation elsewhere. He couldn't fight the smile as a similar expression graced the other's features. Her chest puffed noticeably with pride. A tail swish and a fancy strutting pose. It only took the calmness of the sea to drag them both into a haze of subconscious. The sting nipped at the farthest hairs as they came into contact, a rush of ecstasy rippling to the core.

It was a pleasant feeling. Clearly a sensation that needed to happen again.

Despite the internal need, the action had yet to repeat. Perhaps it never would.

_"You mouse-brained lump of fox-dung!"_

That's right. He argued with her. She had insulted another party member and for that, severely accused. The rage flourished. He was unable to calm down. He dug his claws into her pelt, furious with the traitorous words she spat- despicably, like a silver tongued serpent.

She was the realist; the pessimist. He was the prevailer; the optimist.

Perhaps they were never meant to be.

_"Alpha...?"_

A friend. Their friend. Their obstacle.

_"Let me go for her!"_

They'd been forced in the ring. Well, she had. In the throes of passion, he threw himself on the earth. Determination to save the female he so desperately cared for. He struggled. It wouldn't be long before his vocal cords severed from the screeching. Claws flashed, teeth chomped, blood pooled. Furry paws covered his own eyes, refusing to watch his unsaid beloved die by ways of savage teeth to her throat.

_"What are you doing up? It's dawn and you didn't wake me up for my shift."_

With his beloved safe and healing, their ragtag team had meshed together with regrettable issues. He had taken all responsibilities upon himself. All the watching he tried by his lonesome, striving to prove his worth as leader of a misfit band of wayward souls. If he couldn't lead a few moody apprentices, how was he supposed to lead a Clan in the future?

_"Well look at this. It looks like we got here just in the nick of time."_

Now was his chance. His moment of opportunity to take command of the situation. One of his "clanmates" was in danger, leaving it up to the leader to provide the negotiation and oversee the conclusion just like a true public figure would. Some sly words and an offer of a clawed pelt left little wiggle room for the enemy. Their medic had been returned unharmed. He had himself to thank. Everyone was once again under supervision.

_"Don't what? Don't _leave?_ Stay here with me? Stuff it! Save it for a she-cat that cares. Save it for Mistpaw!"_

Volcanic emotions crashed through the air, too fast to comprehend for analysis. Tempers were flaring, unable to be calmed by mere words. In the vicious ending, the aforementioned beauty had lost her wits end and charged off with the certainty to being solitary in her future endeavors. He was incapable of stopping her. He failed as a leader. He failed as a friend.

_"Flarepaw?!"_

He had his chance for redemption. She had returned.

Or so he had originally thought.

It was but an illusion of his own desires. Fate wasn't that kind to him. It prefered to see him suffer in agony. His destiny did not, nor ever would, intertwine with hers.

"_Fallenpaw- you're our leader- lead us home."_

Nonetheless, he had a devastated group of apprentices to return home with. As long as they saw him as their leader, he would have to play the part. He had to step forward and lead them home. They depended on him. He wasn't about to let them down. He wasn't going to lose anyone else.

Not again.

* * *

_"W-Where's my brother?"_

First words spoken since she awoke, sun dried and wrinkling like a raisin in the midday heat. Particles of sand clumped to her pelt- an uncomfortable feeling. She recalled the downpour. The raging torrent that lay waste to the hollow like a scourge. Her pretty blue eyes only sought her beloved sibling. It only took a matter of seconds to decide the cats around her were not whom she yearned for. This pair was reckless and loud, their voices ringing in her ears in perfect imitation of the thunder and lightning the night prior. Surrounded by foreigners was a certain ride of terror.

_"Help! Help!"_

Her ears were suddenly opened to a new voice. While it wasn't the voice she was hoping, it still retained that sensual familiarity that she found herself satisfied with. She had raced to their aid. Along the short trip, she had discovered the screeching belonged to one of her close clanmates. Delighted to see the tom, but at the same time, she felt the anguish sink in her belly after discovering her clanmate had not seen any sign of her brother.

_"And he also could be dead! You ever think of that?"_

Reality nipped her in the hindquarters. All of her hopes broke with a resonating shatter from the placement of two sentences. Denial kept these thoughts tucked in the deepest depths of her own mind. Much like most young adolescents, she prefered to keep herself in the sunshine rather than acknowledge the shadows. Maybe she didn't want to think of her brother dead. Perhaps she was looking forward to seeing him again. But even so, overexerted hope is only going to set up for disappointment. Tears had swamped her vision. She refused to accept the horrible truth.

She ran.

_"Floodpaw?'_

_"Mistpaw?"_

A reunion. A happy ending. A profound bond.

Scents mingled into one. Just as they were supposed to be. The two halves had conjoined to create the whole.

She was satisfied.

* * *

_"Episode? She had another one?"_

His poor disheveled pelt was first saved by a defensive 'paw with fury in her eyes. The gulls had intent to maim and without his new found friends, it would be safe to assume he wouldn't be walking around so freely. Now caught up with reality and the present time, it was prompted to him that an acquaintance's friend lay under traumatic experiences. Bearing the herbal badge of honor granted the brown coat with certain privileges. He'd become more accustomed than most to connections throughout the Clans. What sort of luck was involved for them to meet under these circumstances?

_"What in StarClan's name is wrong with you two?"_

The journey arose with problems and bumps in the road. With his fellow OceanClanner sprinting off out of despair and lack of morality, it was up to himself to offer condolences. The tension remained high, even after both pairs had been separated from the situation. A level head on both sides kept each instigator devoid of contact with one another.

Wandering side by side gained the insight into the younger's mind. She still had hope. For that, he was content. A familiar scent led them into the hallowed tunnels of enigma. Noses twitching, tails flicking, flanks heaving. It was only when the cries of terror echoed did the pair move from a cautious walk to a terrorized dart.

It was a chance encounter which resulted in the reuniting of long lost siblings. In which, he was very pleased to participate in. However, he wasn't quite on board with their sudden diversion tactic. It's not very nice to scare your medic, now is it?

_"You're one stubborn fool."_

Within every group, certain fellows fall into certain categories. Already, the MagmaClan representative had proven herself to take on the role of the damage dealing psycho. Based on the information from the prior event, it was easy to determine her tenacity and insane mind that lead to one of the bloodiest fights she would ever witness. Stains of crimson lay almost hidden within the coarse red fur. Her claws and pawpads were roughened from the stinging earth. A clear shard had embedded itself in one of those aforementioned pads. She really was stubborn fool.

And he was the one who had to patch up her sorry furry behind.

Again.

_"Can't a cat make dirt without drawing attention from nosy kits?"_

A lie. Albeit a clever misdirection. It was a mere statement to get prying eyes off his back. There was no real reason to bend the truth, in all honesty. Due to patient injury, a solitary quest was required to bring back some necessary herbal supplies. He supposed he didn't want help and supposed that's the reason why he insisted on sending anyone near him away to mind their own business.

_"You squid-brained, self absorbed, cowardly, moth-faced, ant-puking, wretched little spawn of a grimy, slimy maggot!"_

OK, so maybe he got a little carried away. But what would you do if you figured out some random wanderer came around and squashed your valuables? Let's just keep it to a simple 'he wasn't happy' and move on from the spewage of sewer-like language.

After some choice words with the instigator, the brown coat was quickly discovering how useless the former was. Marigold was clearly used to prevent infections, but this mouse-brain claimed she used them for eating. He was utterly disgusted and revolted at the sheer stupidity. And if it didn't make matters worse, he managed to let a few secrets of his past loose and his opponent quickly used them to her advantage.

His vision faded to nothing but black.

_"So now you understand why someone of your occupation is important. You know about medicine, or so I assume what you said earlier. I've self nominated myself as protector of these cats. They're my responsibility and I'm trying my best to keep them alive. Mew, Gray, and Night are the three kittens I've adopted, considering myself as their aunt. They were abandoned by their dead mother whose timely demise came shortly after their birth. Nikki up there suffers from her old age as well as a respiratory disease. She can barely stand up much less breathe properly without collapsing. So you see how big of a role you play in our society. You and only you can help us. Please."_

Agh, no - not the heart wrenching sob story. The injured and sick were his weakness. What kind of medicine cat would he be if he ignored the blatantly ill? Agreeing to settle and lend his aid, he nestled with the alleycats to learn exactly from what they suffered and what would be necessary to treat. He started with the defenseless kittens, acknowledging their lack of strength and immune systems due to a considerable food shortage. In his state of self-loathing and determination to save lives, he disclosed the information regarding a certain plant for consumption of his new "friend".

With some careful persuasion, he was able to convince said friend to seek out habitable forest ground somewhere amidst the crumbling walls and twoleg structures. It was there all the pent up emotional torture was released.

_"I never want to see your ugly mug around here again, Anemonepaw. You're such a traitor. Not even standing up for the weak and injured. You're sick and vile. I could just vomit here. I hope you're happy knowing that Nikki is sure to die as well as those kits."_

Verbally attacked he felt his emotional barriers shatter. Guilt tripping was just another part of life the poor tom was subject to. If it wasn't for the attachment to his true friends and fellow clanmates, he very well could still be there trying to save lives just for the chance to feel successful. He hated the way pressure loomed over his back, crushing his shoulders with the weight that came with his title. His inner healer ordered him to save every life he could. He wasn't in the careful paws of his mentor who wasn't able to tell him 'there are some lives we just can't save'.

But he was saved. Emotionally and physically. He was given the chance to avoid the struggle and take the reins of freedom. He had his clanmates, his partners, his friends. They held him tight and by the fierce look in their eyes, they weren't about to let him go so easily.

_I'll never doubt them again. I'm safe._

* * *

_"Haven't I told you prowlers before? Stay out of the sewers! This is my territory!"_

He knew exactly how he ended up tangled in these deep murky catacombs this stranger referred to as 'the sewers'. Prior to his frantic argument with the foreign feline about whether or not he was trespassing intentionally, the sky beyond his vision was darkened and hazy. Sandy puddles had formed around his limply draped paws, fur kept in an oddly comfortable mixture of damp and dry. Even as he enjoyed the rain's comforts, it wasn't ideal sleeping weather if one wanted to avoid a nasty cough come morning. He had found himself wandering aimlessly, wet sand squishing against his sore pads. His initial intent was seeking shelter, but that want was sated and pushed aside once another problem arose.

A savage bark cut through the misty rain, hollow and hungry. The tiny cat was taught to recognize that sound when twolegs had taken their companions on beachside travels. They just let them romp around and play in the waves. This time, the huge beast managed to catch a whiff of feline, fully prepared to run it down. Now in a one track set mind, the dark gray lump of fur took off in the opposite direction, at the same time frantically searching for a hiding place.

Thank StarClan when a hollowed out protrusion made itself known in the stacked stones. Wasting no time, he dove in the hazy cavern, instantly repulsed by its off-putting musk of rotting fish. However, when the cries of a dog became evident in proving it was literally a fox length from the entrance, the reeking tunnel seemed like the more favorable option. With a slip of his water cleansed pads, he discovered an even deeper hole behind him. Curiosity got the better of his youthful mind, leading his conscious- and soon after, his paws- down the wayward path of darkness laced with a murky, off-putting musk.

Within only a few minutes he reached the end of the chasm, vocalizations of his own creation bouncing off the surrounding, slimy curves. Unfortunately, his cries of excitement brought the unwanted attention of an onlooker- an onlooker who had no intentions of sharing this underground haven. A scream, a threat and a few swipes later, the underground dweller had made his point perfectly clear. The former only had to establish a countermove.

_"I didn't mean to! I was chased down here by a dog! Why don't you believe me?"_

His protests were all but in vain, helpless to the reign of claws that threatened to claw him down to the bone. Unless a savior arrived- highly unlikely- he would most undoubtedly bleed to death in this foul smelling hole.

_"Floodpaw?"_

_"Mistpaw?"_

But he _was_ saved. It had never occurred to him he even had a sister until this very moment. He had allowed his fear and simple mind to rule his thoughts and shockingly push aside the memory of being born with a double. He was genuinely surprised he remembered her name. Letting the past rush back to his head, his following actions were nothing but muscle memory; the casual grins, the genius plan, the sibling connections. All had been done a thousand times before and would continue a thousand times more.

* * *

_"Besides, mud on your pelt makes you look so much prettier."_

It was just in his nature. His friend and clanmate for eleven moons had defined him as nothing more than an outright flirt. He wriggled his way through training with charm and charisma, flouncing his sweet talk with a twinkle of his eyes and a tilt of the head. It was rare for someone to ignore such a compliment.

OK, so maybe it wasn't much of a compliment as he wished it was. The fact remained that this particular specimen was one of those rare cases who refused to even associate with the cream furred hustler. Why was she ignoring him?

_"I am Alpha. I am leader. I am strong."_

He didn't remember much. Thunder, lightning, a torrential rainstorm. Murky liquid swamped his vision, the same salty flood escaping in gulps down his windpipe and into his lungs. His temple inflamed with pain, an obvious harsh blow to the head resulting in a lack of complete vision and void of hearing.

As his dry, dark eyes finally opened some unknown days later, they had instantly connected with an even darker pair of emeralds, placed upon such a pretty black framed visage. She'd been so kind and friendly to him from the instant he crawled shakily to his paws. She helped fill in the blanks to his mind- he remembered who he was. Supposedly.

There wasn't any significant days in between the time he awoke and the arrival of a suspiciously recognizable pair of small felines. He fought away the bubbling confusion in his head, retaliating in his proud voice how they had confused him with someone else. Surely, there was no way he was this _"Wildpaw"_ they spoke of, could there?

_"I remember!"_

Everything. It all came crashing back into in his head in one final burst of vocalized energy. That final spark, kindled by the same she-cat bleeding her insides out onto the infested flooring. He wasn't whom he had originally thought. That pretty female all cut up and dying was his _friend._ The tomcat screaming for her safety was his own _denmate._

That face may have been beautiful, but those eyes were full of cruelty.

_"I am Wildpaw!"_

He would not stand to be oppressed - forced to live as someone he was not.

Not anymore, at least.

_"Wildpaw of BlizzardClan!"_

And he wouldn't let anyone forget it.

* * *

_I wont even apologize. OK, maybe I will. XD I meant to get this up before school started, but you know...procrastination calls. So in the time I've escaped for a few hours from the death grip that is 'homework', I've been finishing up this latest chapter. _

_The final thoughts of the remaining party members. _

_Saddening, isn't it?_

_Fret not, I still have one final, official chapter that will bring us to the end zone. That, as well as a quite intriguing epilogue. _

_Until that day,_

_\- Snarky_


	17. Goodbyes Are Not the Endings

Moist dirt clotted in the crevices of paw pads. Thick and thin coats of fur ruffled with apprehension - not to mention the brief introduction to the evening wind. Ears - previously flattened with defeat and fatigue - now perked with the thoughts of reunion. Any tension built up in their muscles had elevated to a point of near nonexistence. Adrenaline coursed through pumping veins, thick and viscous at the sight of the shadowed oaken structure. A rather sturdy boulder leaned off to the side, offering a better vantage point of view once the small group had made their stand on the pebble road.

With a spring, a spritely looking patchwork tom landed atop the stone, gracefully surveying the hollow below with a stature of power. His jaws parted to release a timid meow. His vocals betrayed his stance and proved how afraid he was once he observed an empty expanse of dried grass. Whiskers twitching, he pulled his head back in a mixture of confusion and failure.

Beside him a thicker furred, cream feline wailed a much louder note into the shivering night, pleased to hear it echo through the spiny looking trees. Reverberating amongst the taut wood, the cry disappointedly went unheard. A bitter tang blossomed on his tongue which eventually led to the slow droop of his broad skull. During which, his claws scraped apprehensively against the stony earth, scoring little divots out of frustration. A fatigued sigh swept a puff of warm air into view. "It is rather late. We must have missed them."

A mere tail length behind the pair of ample bodied toms, a mournful caterwaul shook the leaves on the trees.

"Mistpaw, there's really no reason to wail," the darker version of the screeching female offered his opinions to his rather obnoxious sounding sibling. "We'll just head back to camp. Everyone can make it back on their own now that we know where we are."

Her features creased into a frown. "I know that." Grief bloomed in her ocean eyes. "This is the last time we'll see each other as something more than BlizzardClan or OceanClan. We're friends. Tonight's the last night that'll be true. I figured we could all wail to get rid of emotional tension..."

When no words were answered, Mistpaw felt embarrassment pool in her cheeks. It was a moment before when Anemonepaw chucked his head back in the imitation of a wild canid and howled. The tiny gray she-cat was quick to rejoin in her original idea as well as her own brother. With a final look at one another, Wildpaw and Fallenpaw combined their cries and weaved together a passionate harmony under moon's brilliant light.

Each feverently screamed until their lungs collapsed. Flooded waves of emotion leaked from their voices, cracking and splintering from the pain, but also the joy. Mistpaw's tiny lung capacity gave out first, leaving the petite female crashing on her belly; sprawled out, eyes closed, and gasping for breath. Floodpaw leaned into his sister, struggling for a stable breathing pattern almost as soon as Anemonepaw. The BlizzardClanners floundered for a few seconds longer before their legs shuddered and they too, broke down on their sides, flanks heaving with the lack of breath.

"Excuse me."

Shattering the silence after the side-lined felines eventually caught their breath, a deep baritone rumbled - voice clear with authority and familiarity.

The closest to the newcomer - Floodpaw - jerked his head up with a wild sense of fear. A feeling not too unlike the sensation that accompanied the action of being caught with your paw in the prey pile before the elders and queens had their portions. His widening yellow orbs met a similar pair in hue likeness: dark yellow with an auburn off-shade. The host to those autumnal eyes stood with a neutral expression, facial lines creased into an emotionless pallette. His broad shoulders shifted, thinner black tabby pelt rippling with muscles. Off to his side, more figures made their presence known with a cautious tail swish or an ear flick. Their posture gave off the impression of waiting for orders behind a figure of unfathomable importance.

"Darkstar," the shrunken gray tomcat breathed in awe, half proud of himself for remembering MagmaClan's leader after those several moons of absence.

The aforementioned leader's whiskers twitched with bemusement. "And who might you be for knowing my name?" Unsettled, his leaf-fall optics roamed the rest of the journeying party. Recognition refused to settle and he was left confused as to who these five strangers were and how they knew his name.

The genetical compatriot to her brother appeared at the darker gray's side, quickly meowing her explanation. "You wouldn't know us too well. Floodpaw, Anemonepaw and myself are all OceanClan."

"The same OceanClan cats who went missing the night of the terrible flood," Anemonepaw announced from the far rear.

Disbelief marred the black tabby's face, caught completely unaware and left without any voice for a proper response. Nor would he have a chance for one, for at the current moment, a reasonably sized clump of murky smelling cats emerged from their side of the tunnel and out into the bumpy hollow. Nothing more than silhouettes, names and titles were unable to be connected, but voices carried just as well across the emptiness of the bowl shaped terrain.

"Looks like we're the first to arrive again!"

Based on its cheerful mixture with naivety, the voice belonged to a feline very young - most likely a recently named apprentice.

"No need to boast, Shallowpaw," an amused chuckle answered her, also female and oddly wise beyond her years.

Seated back up on the ledge of rocks, someone seemed to recognize the voice of wisdom, associating its tone with something very memorable and familiar.

"Seafoam?" Mistpaw pricked her ears, craning her head desperately to seek out the gray she-cat whom she shared a pelt hue with. A silhouette further away jostled to attention at the mention of its name, looking around curiously for the echoing source. Confirmation locked, Mistpaw felt tears brim in her ocean eyes. "Mama!" she cried, furious in her motions to scramble down the path.

The shadow down in the hollow surged to the front, eager to meet the cat at the other end of the caterwaul. "Mistpaw?" it echoed back, voice wavering. "Mistpaw!" it howled again, recognizing her daughter's gray coat and stunning dark blues.

The two crashed in a furry embrace in the center of the hollow. The tinier gray had thrown herself to her mother's paws, crying in relief as she felt swallowed by warm fur. A tongue rasped at her neck, soothing away the tension. "Oh my darling Mistpaw. You're here. You're safe. Oh my little bird. You're home."

"Mama, mama!" Floodpaw had tossed himself into the reuniting mix, seeking attention from OceanClan's deputy with a mournful wail of his own.

"Oh, my darling beautiful kits!" Seafoam pulled them closer to her, breathing in their wild scents.

As the OceanClan reunion played out before everyone's eyes, movement coursed around them. Nose twitched, tails flicked, ears perked. Every cat in the hollow stood on edge.

It had been moons since anyone had laid eyes on the missing apprentices.

The shock alone was enough to make someone stiffen and topple over.

Suddenly, conversations bloomed from the mob of felines. Voices ran loud and excited, punctuating their startles with gasps and cries of intensity.

The voices of the survivors rose above the rest, only caught in scattered bits as their sentences ran over one another's.

"And after the_ huge_ flood -"

"- chased away birds -"

"- nervous breakdown -"

"- in a dark, stinky tunnel -"

"- cat named 'Alpha' -"

"- wanted to help her but I had a home to get to -"

"- twin sister!"

"Wait a minute!" Darkstar's cry boomed across the hollow, silence falling in a cascade after the echo. His dark amber gaze surveyed the land around, landing on a pair of two cats in the crowd. "Pondstar, Whitestar." He nodded to each, tilting his chin to the great oak to the far right. "I think it's about time we get the gathering started."

Complying with MagmaClan's wishes, it didn't take longer than a few heartbeats before the leaders of BlizzardClan and OceanClan joined the broad shouldered tabby nestled in the thick branches as a signal to start the meeting under the moon. The glow cast shadows onto the dry grass, crunching underpaw with every subtle movement in the huddled crowd. Whispers bounced around from warrior to warrior, gossip spreading like ticks on an elder.

"I believe it's your turn to start this time, Pondstar," Darkstar dipped his head politely to the silver tabby a branch below him.

"Very well," she smiled up at him and then to the crowd of cats that suddenly seemed a lot larger than prior meetings.

She inhaled. "Cats of all Clans! Think back - to that terrible flood we had all those moons ago. Remember the lives we saved and the lives we lost. Among them, a collection of six apprentices were never found. We assumed them dead. Tonight, we are so graciously rewarded with their safe return. From OceanClan, we honor the returning faces of Mistpaw and Floodpaw, the children of our deputy Seafoam. As well as Anemonepaw, the medicinal prodigy of Reedtail."

"Mistpaw! Floodpaw! Anemonepaw!" A chorus of yowls erupted in the clearing, admiring the returning heroes with an applause of celebratory actions.

"From BlizzardClan," Whitestar jumped to a higher branch, allowing his voice to carry. "I stand here welcoming home the adventurers known as Fallenpaw and Wildpaw."

"Fallenpaw! Wildpaw!"

From the center of the hollowed out bowl of grass and rock, the avid heroes had been given room for recognition in their own little cleared out space. The warriors from all Clans had backed away, their eyes locked upon the smaller figures who now appeared shy at the overwhelming attention.

As the cries died down, Fallenpaw stepped out on shaky paws, tilting his head a little higher than normal to initiate a sense of formality. "E-excuse me," he cleared his throat, drawing attention of the leaders on the oak and the cats surrounding them in the earth depression. Once all eyes were on him again, he struggled to find the words. "You're probably all wondering why Pondstar mentioned six of us when there are only five who returned. The truth is, our sixth member, our MagmaClan representative - Flarepaw - has decided not to come back." The patchwork tom looked up at Darkstar, craning his head to try and observe any form of emotion from the suspended tabby. He saw the hulking leader blink but said nothing. Fallenpaw continued. "She was with me since the early journey. She helped rally together a loose group of stranded 'paws and brought them together. I saw her fight for her life. For all of our lives. She represented all the ferocity we had combined. Snarky and catty she made her opinions quite clear. In the end, her choice was to leave. So in honor of Flarepaw, who stood by us for as long as she could, I'd like to cheer for her as well tonight."

A still silence drafted in the air for a long period of time. The seconds ticked by before, finally, Darkstar bobbed his broad crown.

"For MagmaClan!" he called out, vocals roaring ust as normal. "I stand in front of my clanmates to honor the name of a fallen warrior: Flarepaw!"

"Flarepaw!"

"Flarepaw!"

"Flarepaw!"

The group of five had their heads tossed back, crying the loudest for their honorary warrior.

Surely, from wherever she was - she'd be able to hear them.

* * *

"You think we'll ever see each other again?"

The news portion of the gathering had ended a while ago, leaving time for mingling and gossip to flourish as a wave in the span of a single night. Fallenpaw, Mistpaw, Wildpaw, Anemonepaw, and Floodpaw had been bombarded with questions begging to know the answers to the journey entailed. It had taken some convincing, but Fallenpaw proposed a motion to give them all some space in order to adjust to the chaos.

Now, the group of five had huddled themselves in a far off corner near the tunnel that led the shortest pathway back to OceanClan's territory.

It was time for goodbyes.

"Not a doubt in my mind, kit," Wildpaw answered Mistpaw's sadness laced question, ruffling the top of her crest with a fuzzy paw, in which earned a giggle. "I mean we're just a borderline away."

"Seriously though," Fallenpaw spoke aloud, addressing his former traveling members. "There's no doubt we'll have to go back to our own lives again. They'll be no more pool splashing, no more bonding games, no more working together on the same side. Wildpaw and I are BlizzardClan. You three are OceanClan."

"Ehh, don't be such a stick in the mud," Anemonepaw cracked a smile, making light of the situation. "Sure we'll have to make do with our regular lives but we're still friends."

Mistpaw squealed. "We've formed a bond!"

Beside her, Floodpaw sniggered.

"That's right, Mistpaw," Wildpaw announced, unabashed. "We've formed a bond." He blinked and took a moment to look at the OceanClanners. "I'm really glad I got to know you guys. If I hadn't been swept away by that nasty storm, I don't think my thoughts on OceanClan cats being fat, fish-eaters would be any different."

"And we, you," Anemonepaw replied, curt. "Except we all saw BlizzardClanners as uptight, frost-bitten pelts with no sense of humor."

"Cute," the cream tom made a face, chuckling slightly.

Their happiness was cut short when a dark brown tom from OceanClan sauntered up to their group.

"Sorry to interrupt but..." he trailed off, tossing his head over his shoulder to observe Pondstar gathering up her clanmates in preparation to leave.

"We get it, it's time to leave," Mistpaw sighed mournfully.

"Thanks for letting us know, Mudshark," Floodpaw added, equally displeased as his sister.

The warrior sauntered away and the OceanClanners rose to their paws.

"Don't cry because it's over," the medicine cat apprentice said thoughtfully, turning to follow the pair of siblings. "Smile because it happened."

"Goodbye," Fallenpaw and Wildpaw chimed in succession, watching the trio meander back to their Clan.

_Back where they belong,_ Fallenpaw huffed bitterly.

"Goodbye!" Mistpaw called back, perching next to Seafoam and Floodpaw who eagerly responded as well.

"See you next gathering! Save us seats near the front, pretty please?"

Wildpaw laughed, answering, "Lazy furballs! Find your own spots! Until next moon!"

_Yeah,_ they all thought in unison, as the universe righted itself. _Until next moon._

* * *

_And that, my dear readers, is an ending.  
_

_Tears anyone? I've got tissue boxes!_

_I'd like to thank you all for following this tale through to the end. It's been quite a _journey,_ wouldn't you say?_

_Jokes aside, I still have one more treat in mind for you guys._

_Grab a seat and hold onto your hats and scarves - we're on a one-way trip toward . . ._

_THE EPILOGUE_

_See you all there,_

_\- Snarky_


	18. Epilogue

"Anemonepaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. From this moment on you shall be known as Anemonewhisker. StarClan honors your intelligence and devotion to the craft and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of OceanClan."

There had been a pause of words, gratitude and pride expressed with a mentor's lick to the apprentice's shoulder.

"Now, drink from the pool and dream freely. You may be greeted by some of your ancestors." Reedtail smiled, motioning to the medium sized expanse of water lying untouched beneath the drooping willow tree.

In the darkness, the glow of the fireflies reflected from the water's surface and danced in illuminated speckles across a pale screen of sage green from the looming brown tomcat. He lowered his head slowly, slowing to a halt to glance up with uncertainty toward his mentor.

"Go ahead," the black feline meowed softly from the former apprentice's right side.

Granted explicit permission, the newly named medicine cat of OceanClan dropped his chin, settling down into a comfortable crouch on the grassy bank, paws tucked beneath him. He stuck out his muzzle, white whiskers tapping the water's surface in a tiny barrage of minute ripples. His lids closed with an air of slowness, taking the time to carefully lap at the sacred pool water. Drinking his fill, his head came to rest on his forepaws, awaiting a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_When Anemonewhisker's eyes opened, he was met with sights of vast caverns. An odd heat washed over his pelt, an uncomfortable feeling ripping through his thin coat. The rock floor beneath his paws wafted with warmth, a reminder of memory from what seemed like seasons ago. Similar rock, similar caves, similar warmth. _

_If this was StarClan - why did the territory seem so real?_

_"Sorry for the confusion. I wanted to meet on grounds I was most comfortable with."_

_Anemonewhisker whirled around as the voice continued talking._

_"I know, I know, totally selfish. But then again, I wasn't exactly a nominee for most considerate cat."_

_Padding closer with every step, emerging from one of the tunnels behind him, arose a stark pelt the medicine cat he'd never dream of seeing again._

_There, in all her fiery glory, stood the embodiment of unbalanced emotion that could only be described as Flarepaw._

_In this light, her pelt held a twinkle - a thin sheen of gloss overlaying her already soft and bushy fur. Her amber eyes glowed like the magma pools no doubt in the next set of corridors. She stood no taller than she had moons ago. She was still that small little she-cat with a height complex and anger issues._

_"You...?" Was all Anemonewhisker could spit out, overcome with shock._

_"Me what...?" Flarepaw cocked her head to the side in a picture of innocence. _

_"I thought I'd be visited by a -"_

_"By a medicine cat?" Flarepaw cut him off. "Yeah, sorry. I kind of have first priority over some dead bag of bones who knows poppy seeds make you sleep. Come on; we've got a lot of ground to cover before you wake up again." Letting her words hang in the stagnant air, the small apprentice whirled on her black socked paws and loped smoothly through another tunnel._

_Anemonewhisker, dubious, had no choice but to follow._

_They'd been walking for what felt like mere minutes. In no time at all, Anemonewhisker had identified their real-life location and announced them to be heading further away from the mountain range.  
_

_They kept walking._

_It was the path they'd used to traverse up to the mountains where they ran into Blackshadow, only in reverse. The tiny ginger seemed to be leading the medicine cat in a backwards journey._

_"I missed you," he said finally, breaking the silence. In response, he merely received an ear flick to show she had heard but had no intention of answering just yet. "Everyone missed you," he added. "It wasn't the same to walk through that hollow without your fiery presence."_

_Flarepaw hummed. She said nothing._

_"Fallenpa - Fallen_flare -_ still misses you. You ever walk in his dreams?"_

_"Uh-uh," she verbally replied, shaking her head visibly. _

_"Does anyone else besides me know that you're dead?"_

_"Uh-uh."_

_"That's very helpful," the brown tom sighed sarcastically._

_"Mmhmm." Came the smiling response._

* * *

_They had weaved through more woods, treading lightly on the leaf-ridden earth. The rumble from a river caused Anemonewhisker's ears to perk up in surprise. Flarepaw seemed unaffected, even as she led him closer to the gradually increasing noise. With a few quick bounds, she had increased their pace for a minute or so before drastically slowing once she had jumped over a puddle. She halted at an over cropping ledge of dried mud and crushed grasses.  
_

_"A river?" the medicine cat pulled himself alongside the apprentice, leaning over carefully to survey the rushing water with cautious eyes. _

_"Down there," the former MagmaClan cat nodded off center. Her whiskers twitched, tail flicking with an unreadable emotion as she lowered to her haunches. _

_The tomcat leaned closer, craning his head and squinting his sage optics to see what was being displayed in front of him. It took a moment longer of optically seraching before the scene came into focus. Off to the left, nestled uncomfortably between a set of rocks and twig debris, lay the lifeless reddish corpse of the apprentice beside him. The body's face had been turned away, allowing sight to only the back and flank but the color alone gave it away whose life it once was._

_"I was chased downstream by some twolegs' dogs." Flarepaw's voice was tight yet somehow void of any other emotion. _

Death will do that to you, _Anemonewhisker supposed._

_"Narrowly escaped by leaping across this little gorge of a gap. Didn't make it. Fell down. Current pulled me under. Hit my head on a rock. Drowned. Crash landed right there."  
_

_"Oh, Flarepaw, I'm so sorry," the brown feline jerked around to face her. Her spunky attitude had faded, leaving her expression rather mute and inexpressive. "You didn't deserve to...You had such a good future...You had a second chance..."_

_The she-cat shrugged. "Short lived second chance. But that's besides the point; Go and tell the others of my whereabouts. I've decided I don't want to be left here for some scavenging fox to come around and pick at my remains." She turned to face him with watery eyes. "Anemonewhisker, I want a proper warrior's burial. Please."_

_There was already a hitch in her voice, proving just how young and naive the apprentice really was. Simple minded and terrified._

_"Of course, yes," he consoled her, wrapping his thin tail around her back. "You were honored as a warrior in the eyes of all the Clans. You'll have your burial. We won't leave you here to rot."_

_"And tell...tell Fallenflare I lov -"  
_

_"I will."_

* * *

It was at the soonest gathering when the secondary medicine cat of OceanClan had approached his former traveling members off on the sidelines of the stone hollow. It was now their favored meeting spot - just a few fox lengths from the OceanClan entry tunnel, making it ideal for quick access to a short and sweet rendezvous.

"Full fledged medicine cat, I see, hmm?" Wildfur sauntered up to the meeting spot, following the sleek brown tom followed by the orange and white warrior. The BlizzardClanners had earned their warrior names short a moon ago.

"I've come here not to make small talk, friends," Anemonewhisker said stiffly, cutting past formalities. He was eager to get this information off his chest as soon as possible. "I come bearing news of great importance. I require your services this night and into early dawn."

Mistbird's gray ears perked in interest. Beside her, Floodrunner shuffled closer, toes twitching. The OceanClan siblings had only been named three sunrises prior to the gathering. Anemonewhisker couldn't help think how far along into her warrior duties Flarepaw would be had she stayed to be one in the first place.

Speaking of the fem fatal -

"Flarepaw is dead. I need your assistance in giving her a proper warrior's burial."

* * *

_And THERE! There you have it! The final story content chapter for this story. Thank you all again for sticking with this story all the way to the end. I'm actually really proud of myself for completing this. It only took a year and then some, XD. I told you I'd get it done someday. _

_Huge hugs and thank yous to a bud of mine, Kira! Also known as IWalkBlindlyIntoShadows. Without her idea, this story would've never bloomed so thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my creativity with the world. I hope I did the idea some form of justice. So thanks, Kira!_

_Remember when I promised a special treat at the end? That's right I didn't forget it.  
_

_Our next chapter will be a collection of TJ's trivia that I myself have kept cataloged throughout writing this story. Anything pertaining to the story that wasn't explicitly explained or anything interesting about the story that didn't make it online, this is the moment to share my thoughts and notes. Also any viewer questions you guys want to ask are welcomed as I'll answer some of those as well. _

_This was a great little quest. It wasn't just Their Journey - it was _OUR _journey as well. And I hoped you enjoyed our journey through exhaustion, dealing with my writer's block and frequent procrastination. Thanks guys._

**_"Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."_**

**_~ Richard Bach_**

_\- Snarky  
_


	19. TJ Trivia & Facts

**If you're reading this, you've obviously read the entire 18 chapter story. If you haven't, I'd suggest moving back a little bit in case of triggers against a little thing called SPOLILERS!**

**You're still here? Good. **

**Now we can continue.**

Welcome to your well deserved bonus chapter! The following is essentially all the random trivia and side facts that weren't put into the story for flow reasons.

* * *

Snarky's words on _NAMING_

Ankaa scores. Had she been a warrior, Flarepaw's name indeed would have been Flarepounce.

Fallen_flare_ \- an obvious homage to the valiant_ Flare_paw who didn't return from the journey.

Wild_fur_ \- in reference to his wild, fluffy pelt. (He, however, claims he would've rather enjoyed a more 'wild' suffix such as strike, or blaze. To him, fur is too bland.)

Anemone_whisker_ \- for his keen sense of smell and his prominent white whiskers.

Flood_runner_ \- his novel unseen speed. (For a young 'paw, he derives more than decent speed from his father and is noticeably quicker than his sister.)

Mist_bird_ \- her novel unseen grace and agility. (Derived from her mother, she has proved her abilities to seemingly glide through her bounds and leaps, soaring like a gray feathered bird.)

* * *

Snarky's words on _SHIPS &amp; SEXUAL ORIENTATION_

I support crack ship: Mistle x Clarice (my lil psychos~)

Wild x Flare is my favorite unrequited romance that I've written. (I think it might be the only one I've written...) Regardless, it's rather sweet but Wild knew there wasn't a real chance Flare respected him or looked at him like she did for Fallen. (EDIT: Nope I lied. My favorite unrequited love pair will always be Riverpaw x Swanpaw from Shot Through The Heart And You're To Blame.)

Fallen x Flare being the majority favorite, but instantly shattered by yours truly! Hahaha!

Unmentioned Flood x Black I found pretty adorable, even if there wasn't enough for a strong grip to take hold. Only minor suggestions were made.

Supposedly, in my head, Anemonepaw is asexual, Wildpaw is pansexual, Fallenpaw is bisexual with a preference to females, and Mistpaw, Floodpaw, and Flarepaw are all heterosexual.

* * *

Snarky's words on _GENDERBENDING_

Mistpaw and Floodpaw were brothers in the original draft. Hence the 'Fishing' challenge in my challenge book mentioning a Floodpaw and Mistpaw. Mistpaw became female after I discovered the balance in female to males was off. (It still is askew when you think about 4:2, but eh...mere details.)

Blackshadow was cast as Flarepaw's older brother. Also as the name implies, he would've been a black cat. But then I brought in the plot for her twin and from there it just took off in a whole other direction. Whoops.

* * *

Snarky's words on _CAMEOS_

People who follow my deviantart might have caught a character cameo. This dapper fiend also appears in a few of my one-shots about two kittens who go by the names of Abbott and Costello.

A slightly younger version of a grizzled old elder by the name of Mudshark makes his appearance in the finale - originally having come from my stand alone, STTHAYTB, where he makes his own reference to a long ago quest known as Their Journey.

Sandkit, Bluekit, Swankit, Riverkit, Puddlekit, and Creekkit are all seen in the allegiances but not mentioned in the story. These, of course, being the same six cats in my STTHAYTB one-shot.

* * *

Snarky's words on _APPEARANCES_

I don't recall ever truly mentioning it, but Flarepaw was supposed to have tufted ears.

Originally, Wildpaw's eyes were a vivid orange-amber. Except when I wrote the prologue, it ended up becoming a dark forest green because I forgot to look at my notes.

Where it's stated somewhere above, Blackshadow would've been a black cat. Instead she looks like Flarepaw - taking the genes from their mother Rosemary

* * *

ALLEGIANCES

_MagmaClan_

Leader: Darkstar - broad shouldered black tabby; dark amber eyes

Deputy: Emberpounce - red-orange bengal tom; pale yellow-green eyes

Medicine Cat: Flickerdapple - calico she-cat; green-ish eyes

Warriors:

Flamepelt - red-ginger tom; green eyes

Blazefur - orange tabby tom with white toes; blue eyes

APPRENTICE: Flarepaw - reddish she-cat with black stockings; amber eyes

Stonefoot - pale gray and white tom; blue eyes

Littlepounce - tiny blue-gray tabby she-cat; pale blue eyes

Paleburn - pale tawny she-cat with singed part of fur from magma pool; dark green eyes

APPRENTICE: Wolfpaw - shaggy dark gray tom; hazel eyes

Duskear - gray tabby with black markings; yellow eyes

Sootleap - pale gray tom with darker stockings, muzzle and ears; amber eyes

APPRENTICE: Softpaw - blue-gray she-cat; light green eyes

Queens:

Sparktail - blue-gray dapple; green eyes; mate to Blazefur

Elders:

Scorchpad - black tom with pink paw pads; pale yellow eyes

Rockshade - dark gray she-cat; faded emerald eyes

Ambereye - dusky amber she-cat; amber eyes

_BlizzardClan_

Leader: Whitestar - white tom; light green eyes

Deputy: Stormbelly - slender grayish tom

APPRENTICE: Fallenpaw - orange and white patchwork tom; leaf green eyes

Medicine Cat: Pale-eye - creamy tom; one blind eye

Warriors:

Frostpelt - white she-cat

APPRENTICE: Wildpaw - fuzzy cream tom; forest green eyes

Snowspots - white tom with black spotted markings; dark green eyes

Fuzzywing - thick pelted pale gray tom; yellow eyes

Owlflight - brown tabby she-cat; yellow-green eyes

Leafpelt - orange and white she-cat; hazy green eyes

APPRENTICE: Rootpaw - dusky brown tom

Berryfrost - gray spotted tabby; pale blue eyes

Queens:

Coldwhisper - soft spoken gray and white she-cat; mate to Fuzzywing

Rabbitsprint - long legged brown and white she-cat; mate to Snowspots

Elders:

Harepounce - crippled brown and white she-cat; permanently injured sister to Rabbitsprint

_OceanClan_

Leader: Pondstar - silver tabby she-cat; bright green eyes

Deputy: Seafoam - dark gray she-cat; ocean blue eyes

APPRENTICE: Swallowpaw - tiny brown flecked she-cat; bluish eyes

Medicine Cat: Reedtail - black cat; yellow eyes

APPRENTICE: Anemonepaw - sleek brown tom with white whiskers; sage green eyes

Warriors:

Mudshark - grizzled dusky brown tom; emerald green eyes

Waverunner - bulky white tom; yellow eyes

Briarnose - brindle patterned she-cat with white markings; dark blue eyes

Splashface - calico she-cat; blue eyes

APPRENTICE: Floodpaw - dark gray tom; yellow eyes

Crabclaw - reddish tom; green eyes

APPRENTICE: Mistpaw - pale gray she-cat; ocean blue eyes

Pikefang - brown ticked tabby tom; forest green eyes

Quivertail - pale gray and white tom; yellow eyes

Lilystem - brown and white she-cat; hazel eyes

Queens:

Silvertail - silver tabby; pale blue eyes; mother to Riverkit, Creekkit, Puddlekit

Tawnystripe - tawny furred she-cat with darker stripes; green eyes; mother to Sandkit

Pebbleflight - blue-gray; bright green eyes; mother to Bluekit, foster mother to Swankit

Elders:

Rookfang - black tom with a crooked tooth; amber eyes

Shadewater - dark gray she-cat with white paws; dark blue eyes

* * *

_Unless there's any other unanswered questions out there, I think we've covered everything this story has to offer._

_Again, I'm so happy you guys have read this and given it such a positive review! It encourages me to write more. Just expect some procrastination hiatus, haha._

_\- Snarky_


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